Of Sparrows and Robins
by TruestMercy
Summary: My name is Addilyn Pierce and up until a few months ago, I lived in your world. And then I died. When I woke up I was in another world, one I recognized a little too well. The world of Young Justice. Now, equipped with my knowledge of future events, I'm determined to help make this story just a little bit better no matter what the cost. SELF-INSERT. T just to be safe, may change.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Okay, so this is my first time writing a self-insert fanfiction and my first time delving into the Young Justice universe. I hope this story is good and ya'll enjoy it! I will try** _ **very**_ **hard not to make a Mary Sue character but if she starts going that way,** _ **please**_ **let me know! I will definitely make the necessary adjustments where needed.**

 **Also, just so it's in the open and everyone knows this right off the bat, I am a full-time worker and usually get a lot of overtime as well. I love to write but I also love my job so while I promise to continue updating it may not be as regular as other writers on this site. I just ask for you to please stick with me!**

 **And finally, I own nothing recognizable in this story, I'm just playing around for a little while.**

For the first sixteen years of my life, I was happy. I had friends, a loving family, a job and I never went hungry or homeless. I wasn't rich or very popular but I was old enough by that point to understand none of that mattered as long as I was happy. And I was. _Truly_.

I loved and laughed and found things I was passionate about. One of those things –and please, don't laugh –was Batman. Yes, I was a total nerd and absolutely _obsessed_ with the Caped Crusader and his "Bat Family" as many so affectionately called the many Robins and Batgirls who joined the crusade. One member of this family in particular was my absolute favorite though. Richard Grayson. The _first_ Robin. Later called Nightwing, son of the late Mary and John Grayson of the Flying Grayson's in Haley's Circus. Both were killed by a mobster, Tony Zuco, because he wanted money the circus wouldn't provide. Anyway, his story and his character were always so…amazing. His parents were killed, in front of him, and he still managed to be a sassy, optimistic hero as he grew up. It was astounding. And the way he made Batman more _human_ , well it was fantastic. So yeah, I had a bit of a fangirl crush on him. It helped that he was rather attractive in every version of him I found.

Anyway, I'm getting slightly off topic here but knowing about my obsession will make all of this a little easier to understand. You're probably starting to wonder why my story even _matters_ at this point. Well, I'll tell you: I died. That's right, you heard me, I _died_. It was a freak accident. I was coming home from work and a wrong way driver slammed into my car and well, there goes my life and everything I've ever known. Poof.

Growing up, I always believed in Heaven and an afterlife and seeing all my lost loved ones again. I mean, it just made _sense_ to me. But…that's not what happened and my dying is actually where this story _starts_. So buckle up, because there's a _lot_ to cover.

 **It's short, I know. But it's just a prologue and I promise the other chapters won't be as short. I should have the next one up pretty soon though, I have about a chapter and a half written already! Please, reviews are welcome and I'm more than open to a little** _ **constructive**_ **criticism. I know there's always room to improve, so please, let me know what you think!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Mercy**


	2. Beginnings

**A/N: First real chapter is up! I hope it lives up to your expectations and you want to keep reading! I'm really trying to make this good but like I said, I've never done a self-insert before so I'm kind of feeling it out and trying to remember all the little things that annoy me with self-inserts! Review are always welcome!**

 **As before, I own nothing recognizable in this story I'm just having fun.**

 **Enjoy!**

One: Beginnings

Darkness.

That's all there was any more it seemed. Darkness and loneliness and cold. The last thing I could clearly remember was a set of headlights heading straight for me and then…nothing. I wonder briefly if maybe I'm dead. Maybe this is that in between state you always hear about where your soul isn't sure if you belong in Heaven or Hell. I desperately hope I belong in Heaven. I mean, I'm not perfect by any means but I like to think I was a good person and helped where I could. I was never unnecessarily cruel and I didn't commit crimes, which had to count for something. Right?

I'm beginning to panic when the darkness begins to lighten a bit and warmth seems to envelop me. Heaven then. I can't imagine Hell feeling this nice. I sigh and let myself drift in the warmth and the brightening light, feeling it stretch over and around me, enveloping me completely before I'm suddenly _slammed_ back into darkness. What the heck?

It takes me a moment to realize this darkness is slightly different though. There's still warmth around me and I think I can hear something. I can't really tell what though. It's an odd dripping noise and strange fluttering. And then the warmth is fading and it's replaced by a chill, just cold enough to make the hairs on my arms stand up and pimple my skin. Underneath the cold is a damp feeling, kind of like how it feels just before a rain storm. Not really humid but not quite comfortable either. Strange. There's something cold circling each of my wrists and even though I've never been arrested I immediately know someone has put handcuffs on me. Weird.

There's a soft hum of voices. They're low, indistinct, and I don't recognize them at all. That's a little worrisome. I'm fairly certain this _isn't_ a hospital. While there is a slight hint of antiseptic in the air it's not overwhelming like it would be in a medical facility. I've been in enough to know and _hate_ that smell. Plus, I'm handcuffed.

I'm debating whether or not I should open my eyes when a voice speaks up somewhere to my left, "I think she's awake."

I frown, the voice sounds like it belongs to a child but the tone is too serious, too adult-like. Kids aren't supposed to sound like that. I hear footsteps approaching rapidly, one set barely audible and the other a soft patter, "Miss, can you hear me?"

British.

"She's definitely awake, I think she's just scared," there was the child again. His voice was still serious but I could detect an undertone of curiosity as well now. Maybe he didn't know what was going on either.

"You can open your eyes, no one is going to hurt you, Miss. I promise," there was the British voice again.

I'm not really sure why, but some part of me trusted the person talking and slowly, I let my eyes flutter open. The light was blindingly bright and immediately my head pulsed out an angry rhythm right behind my eyes. I immediately slammed my lids down again, surprised to hear a small whimper escape my lips.

"Young Master, if you would pull that lamp away and perhaps switch it off? I think our guest has a bit of a headache from her fall."

I heard a soft click and the light behind my lids seemed to dim. It took another moment before I risked cracking them open again. This time, while my head still protested somewhat, I didn't feel like there a jackhammer being taken to my skull. It was manageable. I opened my eyes a little wider, blinking a few times to clear away the fogginess, and took in my surroundings. There's medical equipment around me, a white curtain cordons off the room and standing just to my right is an older man and another, darkly clad one…

That's about when my jaw nearly hits the floor because standing in front of me was none other than Alfred Pennyworth and _Batman_. _The_ Batman. Holy. Crap.

I feel my eyes widen and I'm pretty sure I look like a complete idiot but I don't really care. Standing in front of me are two of my favorite characters from comic books and cartoons growing up. A snort from behind me makes me turn and once again, I'm floored by who I see. Messy black hair, red costume, black cape and an "R" on his chest. Robin. _Richard Grayson_. He smirks, "I think she's broken."

"Miss? Are you feeling alright?" suddenly Alfred is leaning over me, placing a hand on my forehead and looking genuinely concerned.

Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine Alfred _freaking_ Pennyworth asking me if I was okay and checking to see if I had a fever while Richard Grayson smirked next to me. They weren't real. At least, they weren't _supposed_ to be. Maybe the accident put me in a coma? I wouldn't be surprised if this was a medicine induced dream. That would be the most reasonable explanation but my brain can't help but wander to other less common explanations. Like, alternate worlds. It was a common thing in comic books, maybe when I died I somehow landed in the middle of another world where superheroes existed?

"I-I'm fine…um…just confused. How exactly did I get here?" I ask finally, still casting my eyes around and taking everything in. There are bats hanging from somewhere high above my head, I can hear the flutter of their wings, and somewhere in the distance water is flowing.

At this, Batman steps into the light, "That's what we would like to know. Did someone send you? Joker? Two-Face? Riddler?"

I shake my head quickly, "No. _No_. I would never work with them. They're _villains_!"

"Then what are you doing here?"

"That's what I would like to know! The last thing I remember was a car racing toward me and then…nothing before waking up here!"

"A car racing toward you?" Robin asked and I glanced back toward him. He was in the uniform I recognized from the Young Justice cartoons. All red except the buckles over his chest and the inside of his cape which were bright yellow, matching the "R" on his chest and the utility belt on his waist. Black leggings meet with ankle high black boots which are currently propped on the bottom rung of his stool. He's already taken off his gloves but his mask is firmly in place. As far as they know I have no idea who they really are.

"Yes. I was driving home from work and a pair of headlights was flying toward me and then I woke up here. That's it."

Robin frowned, his eyes narrowing, "That doesn't make any sense."

"Trust me, I know it doesn't make sense. You're not even supposed to be _real_."

"Wait, what? Not real? That makes even _less_ sense!"

I laugh, "You being here makes no sense to me. Where I'm from, you're just fictional characters from comic books and cartoons. But I'm definitely staring at you right now, in the flesh."

"Whoa. You mean, there's a world out there where _I_ get to be a comic book super hero?!" Robin asks, practically bouncing in his seat.

I nod, "You and the entire Team. Artemis, Kid Flash, Miss Martian, Aqualad, Superboy. All of you."

"Who's Artemis? And how do you know who's on the team? It isn't public knowledge. Kind of defeats the purpose of a stealth team if our enemies know who's on it," his excitement has died down, replaced by suspicion.

 _Oh, crap!_ This must have been before Oliver (Green Arrow) brought Artemis on the Team. I completely forgot there was a small portion of time in the beginning without the blonde archer. She was integrated into the group by the time the first season finished airing. Heck, she was dating Kid Flash by then!

I was floundering for an answer when Batman stepped even closer, distracting me and, thankfully, Robin, "How do you know all of this? Who _are_ you?"

"I just told you! I'm from a world where your _lives_ exist in cartoons and comic books. A world where superheroes and powered up bad guys _don't exist_. At least, not like this."

"What's your name?"

"Addilyn. Addilyn Pierce."

"Computer, search everything on Pierce, Addilyn. Female. Age," he pauses here and looks me over, "Thirteen to fourteen."

"What? I'm not _thirteen_. I know I look young but come _on_!"

Robin cackled, "I'm pretty sure you're about the same age as me."

"What are you _talking_ about?! I'm sixteen!"

Alfred coughed politely next to me, holding up a small mirror so I could see my reflection. Part of me was hesitant to look. What if I didn't recognize the person staring back at me? Taking a deep breath I leaned forward and blinked. That wasn't my reflection. My whole life I've had unruly, thick brown curls, a ton of freckles and muddy brown eyes. I was plain and I wasn't exactly a beauty but I never really cared. _Now_ though. Now I looked like all the female heroines I'd read about in the comic books. Thick, long black hair and bright blue eyes set in a perfectly round pale face. Not a freckle in sight.

"That's…that's not possible. I don't look like that. You're pulling some kind of prank, aren't you?" I asked, quickly turning away from the mirror and shooting an accusatory glare at Robin, "This is some sort of face-changer isn't? Or a hologram?"

"No pranks, I promise," Robin said. And I believed him.

Batman was watching me closely and I knew he was trying to figure out whether or not I was lying. I don't know if he decided to trust me or not but he turned on his heel and walked around the curtain of my "room". I heard the deep timbre of his voice but couldn't make out what he was saying from so far away. A moment later, he was back, still frowning at me and looking like he didn't know what to think, "Martian Manhunter will be here shortly. He should be able to tell us what's going on with a quick look into your mind."

The thought of _Martian Manhunter_ digging around in my brain was both totally cool and completely terrifying. I mean, it's not like there was anything _bad_ in my head but it would definitely be a whole new experience. I wasn't really sure how to respond so I settled with a short, jerky nod.

There was a loud chirp from the Batcomputer, _Search complete._

"Report."

 _Name: Pierce, Addilyn Hyacinth._

 _Age: Thirteen._

 _Gender: Female._

 _Date of Birth: November 26_ _th_ _._

 _Blood Type: Unknown._

 _Parents: Deceased._

 _Birthplace: Gotham._

 _Affiliation: Unknown._

 _Abilities: Unknown._

 _Orphaned at the age of three. In foster care until the age of twelve. On the streets and considered a runaway for the past year. No school records found. No medical records found. No current residence found. Current status unknown._

Batman's frown deepened and I had a feeling it probably had to do without the amount of "unknowns" in the report. I was surprised there was a file on me at all. And apparently, I had no parents. That struck a chord in me. Back home I had wonderful parents and four brothers. This version of me had no one. I wasn't really sure how I felt about that.

"Dude, your middle name is Hyacinth? That's rough," Robin's snort makes me smile slightly.

I shrug, "Apparently it was my great-great-grandmother's name. I think my mother hated me a little bit though, saddling me with it."

Robin barks out a short laugh.

 _Reocgnized: Martion Manhunter 07._

"Batman?"

I turn at the voice, watching as the green form of Martian Manhunter moves toward us. While he isn't my _favorite_ character in the DC Universe he's still pretty awesome in his own way. I mean, he's from _Mars_ and can read _minds_. That's pretty cool. Plus, he can shape shift. Definitely a handy trick to have.

"J'onn, this is the girl I was telling you about. She calls herself Addilyn," Batman says, motioning toward me. I notice he never seems to take his eyes off of me. I know he doesn't trust me. I don't blame him either. I wouldn't trust someone if they literally fell out of the sky and landed in the middle of my top secret lair either.

"Hello, Addilyn. My name is J'onn J'onzz. Batman tells me you are not from our world?" he's polite and I can tell he's trying to seem unintimidating.

I smile slightly and nod, "That's right. Are you going to look into my mind now? I'm a little confused about all of this myself and I wouldn't mind a few answers."

He seems puzzled for a moment, "You are not afraid to have me look into your mind?"

I shrug, "I mean, it's a little scary but I also know you won't go poking around in places you don't need to and I know you won't hurt me."

He glances over at Batman who seems to almost shrug before turning back to me, "Very well then. Lie back and we can begin."

I do as he asks, settling in so I'm comfortable. I don't know how long this takes in real life. In the shows it's only a matter of moments but shows don't always go into great detail on everything. His hands settle on either side of my forehead and I close my eyes, sighing out slightly.

 _I'm going to begin now, do not resist._ His voice is soft in my mind, kind.

 _I won't_.

And then it's like every memory I've ever had is flooding through my mind. One after another, flashing by so fast I can barely catch anything. There's my mother, my father, my brothers, our dog, my friends, my work, my house…so many things all at once. And then…nothing. It's the darkness again. The darkness I remember from after the accident. I shiver involuntarily, not wanting to remember that awful in between feeling. Uncertain what will happen next. And then my memories from this world are flashing across my mind.

After another moment I blink and I'm back in the cave with Robin on one side of me and Alfred on the other. J'onn and Batman are a little ways away, talking in hushed voices. I strain to catch anything they're saying but they're talking too quietly to hear more than a soft hum of noise.

Robin leans forward, "J'onn says you're telling the truth. Batman is trying to figure out what to do now. How are feeling? It can be kind of weird having him in your head for the first time, trust me."

I sit up slowly, wincing when my headache from before comes back. I place a hand to my forehead, realizing there's no longer cuffs on my wrists when I can actually complete the motion, "I take it I'm no longer a threat then?"

"I don't think so but Bats, he takes some convincing. Even if Manhunter dug around in your brain. He'll probably want more tests but he doesn't think you need to be confined anymore so that's something at least," Robin holds out a glass of water and two small, white pills, "Sorry we didn't give you these before. Bats wanted to ask all his questions before we did anything."

I smirk, "I'm not surprised. He doesn't trust people. I wouldn't really either, after everything he's been through."

"About that. Manhunter says you know our identities?"

I swallow the pills, taking a moment to think before nodding slowly. There's really no use pretending I don't after having J'onn in my brain but I know how much Batman _hates_ people knowing his secret identity. Heck, he doesn't even let Robin tell _Wally_ (Kid Flash) for a long time and they're best friends.

Robin grins, "It's kind of nice, actually. Having someone know. Even if Batman doesn't agree with me."

"I get why though. I mean, you have Joker and Two-Face and Ivy and a lot of other baddies out there who would use that against you. I wouldn't want them knowing either."

"And they aren't ever going to," Batman is suddenly back beside us and I can't help jumping. God, he's quiet.

I look up at him, "No, they aren't."

Something in my tone seems to satisfy him because he gives a very tiny nod, "Good."

I let my gaze drift to Martian Manhunter, "So, you have any idea what happened to me?"

He sighs out and steps forward, a solemn look on his face, "From what I can piece together of your memories you do come from another world. An alternate reality, from what the looks of it. Not quite parallel to ours but close enough for you to wind up here. At the moment of your death something happened and you were somehow transplanted here. I don't know why you appeared in the Cave or why you appeared in that form but our world seemed to adapt around you somewhat. A history was written for you, however limited, and somehow you retained your old memories. Perhaps in time, memories of this world were surface but then again, they may not. I've never encountered another such as yourself."

"I…I died?" my voice is small, wavering slightly and I can feel a wet burning in my eyes. While part of me knew that was probably the case, hearing it confirmed is jarring and makes something in my gut wrench painfully.

J'onn nods, "Yes. That darkness you were in, that was a sort of limbo between life and death. Your body in the world you came from is dead. I'm sorry."

I blink rapidly, fighting the hot tears building in my eyes, "What about my parents? My brothers? They're all there, grieving me."

A warm hand lands on top of mine, squeezing gently. I look over my shoulder and meet Robin's sad blue eyes. He's lifted the lenses on his mask and his eyes are filled with sorrow, "I'm sorry, Addilyn."

I sniffle, suddenly overwhelmed by the emotions flooding through me. I was never this terrible at controlling myself before but I was also _older_ in my other body. But this body was practically a child still, complete with the raging, uncontrollable emotions it seemed, "I-I just. I was going home. I-I was suppo-supposed to meet my mom f-for dinner. Oh God, s-she was probably waiting for m-me. A-and I d-didn't show u-up."

By the end I'm a crying mess and I can't seem to make the tears stop. The thought of my mother –my beautiful, happy mother –sitting at a table waiting eagerly for me only to get a call about my accident makes my heart scream in agony. I can practically see her face crumpling, the tears running down her cheeks. My mother, my mama. My best friend. I left her.

Arms circle me now and suddenly I'm bawling into a perfectly pressed suit, making a mess of the shirt with my tears. A hand rubs soothing circles over my back while a soft, British voice murmurs sweet nothings and my world crashes down around me.

 **So? Wasit any good? I hope so. These first few chapters are focusing more on Addilyn kind of figuring everything out but I promise there will be action in later chapters!**

 **Mercy**


	3. New

**A/N: Second chapterrrr! I'm so excited by the amount of response I've already received for this story! I hope I can continue to make ya'll happy and reading! I'm really working to try and keep my character from going Mary Sue but if she starts drifting that way,** _ **please**_ **let me know! There's nothing I hate more than Mary Sues!**

 **As always, I own nothing recognizable I'm just borrowing the ideas for a while!**

 **Two: New**

I don't know how long I sit in Alfred's arms sobbing while he soothes me. All I know is the next time I'm aware of the room around me we're alone. Alfred has moved so he's sitting on the bed with me by this point, my small body pressed firmly into his chest as I practically sit in his lap. Under normal circumstances, I would probably feel embarrassed but at the moment I can't seem to feel much of anything.

My whole life is gone. My family is gone. Technically, I'm dead. But instead of finding my way to some form of afterlife, I would up in Gotham with Batman and Robin. I loved them and their story, don't get me wrong, I just never thought I'd be _living_ in it while my family buried my body in an alternate world.

"Are you feeling better now, Miss Pierce?" Alfred's gentle voice asks from above me.

His arms are still around me and my head rests just under his chin. Neither one of us seems to be in any rush to move. Reluctantly though, I pull away and settle onto the bed again, wiping away my tears as best I can. Alfred holds out a small handkerchief and I give him a watery smile before wiping my face. I take longer than necessary to answer, trying to make sure I won't burst into tears again immediately, "I am, thank you. I'm sorry for being such a baby about this. I promise I'm not usually this much of a crier."

Alfred smiles warmly, "I believe anyone in your current position would have reacted the same way. There's nothing wrong with feeling sad."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," he stands from the bed now, brushing hands over his suit, "Now then, Master Wayne has requested you be brought into the manor and given a change of clothes for the night. In the morning, we are to put together something of a wardrobe for you. You will be needing proper clothing if you are going to be living here."

I blink, "Wait, what?"

Alfred's smiles takes on an amused edge, "Master Wayne advised you are to stay with us. You can't stay on the streets, not when you don't know them, and the Master is not fond of the foster care system. Of course, if you would like to return to your foster home you are more than welcome to do so."

I wrinkle my nose, "I don't remember my foster home but it doesn't sound very appealing if I ran away from it before."

Alfred nods and squeezes my shoulder gently, "Very good. Come on then, let's get you some new clothes and settle you into bed for the night, hm?"

I nod with a small smile, "That sounds nice."

Alfred stands and I follow him around the curtain and freeze. Holy. Crap. Sitting in front of me, looking intimidating and _fast_ , is the Batmobile. I move toward it slowly, taking in ever sharp angle and sleek curve that makes up the vehicle. Seeing it on TV and seeing it in real life are two _very_ different things. The Batmobile is _gorgeous_. I'm itching to run my hands over her hood, to feel the vibrations when the engine is one, to _fly_ down the street in her seats. God, I can only imagine how amazing that must be.

"She is quite a machine," Alfred says from behind me, amusement coloring his tone.

I nod mutely, unable to drag my eyes away.

"There will be plenty of time to admire the Batmobile later, I promise. Come along now."

It take me a moment but eventually I reluctantly move away from the car and follow after Alfred.

We wind up and around staircases, different platforms stretching out on either side of us as we go. At one point we pass by a gym and I know immediately what's behind those doors. The gymnastic equipment Bruce bought specifically for Dick. And then there's the Batcomputer, taking up and entire wall with multiple bright computer screens. The cases with the uniforms. Robin's R-cycle. So many amazing things I never thought I would get to see in real life. I can't wait to _really_ explore the cave.

We make it to the elevator and Alfred motions me inside first. The elevator is small, clean and _fast_. Before I can even comprehend our sudden ascent we're on the main floor of the manor. The doors slide open and I step into the library of Wayne Manor. Oh man, I'm going to have to explore everything in here too. There's just so much of this new world to take in.

We wind through rooms and up stairways and soon I'm so turned around I have no idea how to get back to the library and the cave entrance. I don't think I would even be able to find the _kitchen_ after that walk. I know we passed through it at some point and I'm pretty sure I saw the front door somewhere in there too. Dear lord, this place was bigger than most _schools_. How did any of them manage to find their way around?

"I'm going to need a map," I say as Alfred opens another door and motions me inside.

He chuckles, "I'm sure Master Richard will be more than willing to help you find your way around. His room is two doors down from yours."

I step into the bedroom and once again I'm shocked by the sheer size of it. This bedroom is probably the size of my mother's _living room_. A giant bed takes up the far wall, a beautiful and very comfortable looking blue comforter draped over the mattress with matching pillows. Navy curtains hang on either side of a massive window with bookcases built into the walls on either side. There's a desk to the right, made of perfectly polished wood and a matching dresser pressed against the wall in front of me. A door leads into what I assume is a closet on the same wall as the bed. All in all, it's one of the most beautiful rooms I have ever seen.

"This is _my_ room?" I ask, completely shocked such a huge room could be _mine_.

Alfred nods, "Yes. Is it to your taste?"

I nod, "I think it's the biggest bedroom I've ever seen."

"I believe that is the same thing Master Richard said when I showed him his room for the first time as well."

"I can imagine. Nothing can really prepare you for living in a freaking mansion."

"I concur. If you'll wait here, I will go fetch some clothes for you," At that, Alfred turns and heads further down the hall.

I hear a soft knock and a door opens. There's a murmur of voices but I can't make out what they're saying so I turn my attention back to the room… _my room_.

I walk toward the bed, brushing my hand over the plush comforter. I can tell it's expensive just by the way it feels. I could never afford such nice things before. While my family wasn't poor we weren't exactly rich either. We managed. That's what my mother would always say. The thought of her sends a sharp pang through my chest. She would love to see this.

I blink rapidly as more tears build in my eyes, refusing to cry _again_ tonight. I have to accept this new life. I'm not the same girl I was when I woke up this morning. I don't technically have parents in this world. I'm an orphan. Just like Bruce. Just like Dick.

There's a soft knock and I turn to see Alfred standing in the doorway with a small pile of clothes, "I hope these fit. They're Master Richard's so they may be a little large but it's only until tomorrow when we go shopping. Master Bruce has already been in contact with child services and they have agreed to allow you to stay here until a more permanent solution can be found."

"Does that mean I'll have to leave at some point?"

"If Master Bruce has his way, no. You're not from here which is a problem on its own but you also know their identities and you have more knowledge of the League than any civilian should. It would not only be dangerous for them but for you as well. You will become a target if any of the League's enemies learn about you," Alfred set the clothes on the dresser and looked back over at me, "I think he also wants another young one around. Master Richard has worked wonders around here."

"I remember that. He was cold before, throwing himself into his night work more than his life. Taking risks he shouldn't. Dick…he does a lot for Bruce," I say quietly, remembering how sad and self-destructive pre-Richard Bruce was in all the comics.

"It seems you already know quite a bit about us and yet, we know almost nothing about you. We will have to change that."

I grin and duck my head a bit, "There isn't much to learn honestly."

"We shall see," he moves toward the door, apparently satisfied I'm settled for the night.

"Hey Alfred? How come Bruce is letting me stay so easily? I know he doesn't trust people."

Alfred smiles slightly, "I believe Master Richard may have had a hand in that. He seems to trust you. It doesn't hurt that you're not the first other-world visitor we've ever met."

I nod, "I guess that makes sense."

"Good night, Miss Pierce I shall see you in the morning," he starts to shut the door but just before it closes he glances at me one more time, "It is nice to have another face around here. This place is too big to be so empty."

The door shuts with a soft click, hiding my flaming cheeks and pleased smile. Maybe this wasn't home and maybe my family wasn't here but at least I wasn't _completely_ alone either.

I changed my clothes and climbed into the oversized bed, feeling my body sink into the soft mattress. I didn't even realize how tired I was until my eyes started to fall shut, heavier than I could ever remember them being.

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

There's an insistent knocking on the door the next morning and I slowly crack my eyes open. Sunlight floods into the room from the massive window and I blink rapidly a few times. I'm disoriented for a minute, forgetting where I am. This isn't my bedroom back home and it isn't one I recognize either. How did I…?

And then it all comes flooding back to me at once. The accident, dying, the cave, _Batman_. I think part of me still believed it was all a dream and I would wake up back home with my family. That wasn't the case though. I was lying wrapped in a thick comforter in the middle of a giant bed wearing clothes that didn't belong to me. Definitely not a dream then.

"Addilyn? You awake in there? Breakfast is ready and Alfie hates serving cold food," Dick's voice is slightly muffled by the thick wooden door but even so I can hear the amusement.

I smile slightly, I guess I could have wound up somewhere worse. Like with Joker or something.

I stretch out in the bed and sit up, raking black hair away from my face. That was going to take some getting used to. I slide off the bed and walk over to the door, opening it as another round of knocking starts up. Dick's hand is raised mid-knock. He grins when he sees me then immediately blushes and looks away, "Um…breakfast…downstairs. If you…wanna change…I can show you."

I frown, not really sure why he's being so awkward but nod anyway, "Okay, just give me a sec and I'll be ready."

He nods, still not looking at me and I close the door. There's another set of clothes on the dresser waiting for me and I grab them. I also really need a bathroom and that's when I remember I have _no idea_ where the restroom is. I move back to the door, opening it, "Um…where's the bathroom?"

"There should be one attached to your room," he still isn't looking at me but I can see the edges of a smirk on his face.

I blink and glance around the room as I shut the door again. The only other door is the one I _assumed_ connected to the closet. I walk over and open it, once more floored by the sheer size of the rooms in this place. There's a full walk-in closet directly across from me and to the left is a huge tub with a window over it and a shower on the other side of it. A long counter and sink takes up the entire right side of the room with a mirror dominating the wall above it. There's even a skylight set into the ceiling above the tub. The entire room is pearly white with deep blue rugs and towels that match the comforter and curtains in my bedroom. I could get used to this.

I step onto the cool tile and move quickly to the toilet off to the left. The rugs are all thick and soft, my toes automatically curling into the plush fabric.

I finish my morning business and move to the sink. That's when I get a first look at my appearance and I can suddenly understand why Dick seemed so uncomfortable.

The shirt Alfred gave me, which started out sitting correctly on my shoulders, is now off center and hanging completely off my left shoulder, showing a _lot_ of skin. I knew the shirt was big on me but not _that_ big. Even though he's only fourteen, he _is_ still a boy. I probably shouldn't find it as amusing as I do but I can't really help myself. For as long as I can remember I've had the biggest crush on Richard Grayson and today _I made him blush_. I drag my hair up and twist it into a knot on the top of my head. I don't have any hair ties but thankfully, my hair is actually long enough to tie up on its own.

I strip out of the night clothes and quickly pull on the plain black t-shirt and basketball shorts Alfred left for today. These fit a little bit better than the others and I'm pretty sure I won't have to worry about accidentally showing too much skin again. I briefly wonder what I'm supposed to do about shoes but I'm sure with Alfred being Alfred he's already figured that out too.

When I open the door to the hall again Dick is leaning against the opposite wall. He's in a green sweatshirt and black pants with black shoes. His usual civilian attire minus the sunglasses. His bright blue eyes meet mine and he grins, "You look a little more presentable now. Glad the clothes fit at least."

There's a small blush in his cheeks still and he won't look directly at me for long, but I think fully covering myself helped. I imagine it has to be a little weird too, these are his clothes after all and he doesn't really even know who I am.

"So, you were sixteen in your world?" Dick asks after we walk in silence for a minute. His hands are shoved in his pockets and he's still not really looking at me at all.

I nod, "Yep. I turned sixteen about a month before my…accident. Got my license and everything. My parents surprised me with a car even. It was a pretty awesome birthday."

"Sounds like it. What kind of car did you get?"

"It was an old four door. Nothing too fancy but it was mine and I know my parents saved forever to be able to afford it."

Dick's face breaks into a soft, genuine smile, "Sounds like it was kind of perfect."

"It was. Of course, it was only a month before my accident and my death so I didn't really get to enjoy it that much."

Dick's face falls and I instantly regret my choice of words. He glances at me out of the corner of his eye, "I know how hard it is to lose your parents. It might not be in the same way but you still lost them. If you need to talk at all just let me know. I remember what it was like at the beginning."

"Thank you."

Dick nods and we lapse back into a comfortable silence.

Alfred is setting out the last of the food as we walk into the kitchen. There's a small breakfast nook in the corner with a shining wood table covered in food. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, toast, fruit. It all looks amazing too and the _smell_. My mouth is watering already and I can't wait to dig in. Alfred's cooking skills are legendary and now I get to _taste_ something he cooked.

Dick slides into a seat, reaching for some pancakes as he does. Alfred clears his throat delicately, "Perhaps we should allow our guest to have first choice, Master Richard?"

Dick turns bright red and drops the pancake back onto the main plate. I slide into my own seat with a small laugh, "It's fine, really. I don't usually eat much."

Dick grins and goes back to piling his plate up with a little bit of everything. I wait a moment before scooping some strawberries, eggs, and two pancakes onto my plate. I grab a couple pieces of bacon as well. I know I probably won't be able to eat all of the food on my plate but it all looks so good and I can't help myself.

"Once you have both we finished we can head to the store. Master Bruce left strict instructions to find Miss Pierce suitable clothing before we did anything else. I believe he wants to make sure you're presentable when child services comes later today. He will be back early so he can be here when they arrive," Alfred says as he starts cleaning pots and pans in the kitchen.

I nod around a mouthful of food, reminding myself of the manners my mother always drilled into me.

"Did he mention anything about our activities for tonight?" Dick asks between bites.

"Nothing in particular but I do believe he wants to assess Miss Pierce's skills. You will need to know basic self-defense," he glances at me at the last part, "Even without a superhero identity you are still Bruce Wayne's charge and once that becomes public knowledge it paints a target on you back."

"I figured as much," I pause, "Do you think he'll let me take on a superhero identity? I know I'm new, and he probably doesn't trust me, but I could be useful. I…know things. Things that are going to happen."

Dick stops eating and stares at me, "Like the future?"

I shrug, "Kind of. I mean, there's no telling how much everything will change now that I'm here but like I said, you're a TV show in my world. When I died, the timeline was _much_ further along than this. You were already seventeen."

"I bet I'm a total ladykiller when I'm older, huh?" he waggles his eyebrows at me and I snort.

"I think you need to spend less time with Wally."

He cackles, "Well, I definitely wouldn't mind having you on the Team once you've had some training. Bruce will take some convincing but I bet we could do it. It's a good thing J'onn wasn't off world last night otherwise you'd probably still be downstairs in a holding cell. Having a Martian read your mind and clear you is definitely useful."

"Still, isn't it weird? I mean, I feel like this has all been way too easy so far."

"I believe Master Richard is correct. Mister J'onzz is a very powerful telepath and even the strongest of minds cannot keep secrets from him. If you were truly hiding any sort of ill will he would have found it. As I said last night, you aren't the first visitor we've had from another world. And I'm sure you won't be the last," he takes Dick's empty plate and returns to the sink, "As for joining the Team, I think it would be a splendid idea. You could be very useful and it is a good outlet. You had siblings before and while the Team is not related biologically they are very close. It would be good, I think, for you to be surrounded by such camaraderie."

"Plus, Wally will be so jealous he didn't meet you first."

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

Once I've finished eating and all the dishes are cleared away Alfred manages to scrounge up a pair of tennis shoes that are just barely too big and we head for the garage. I really shouldn't be surprised when Alfred grabs the keys to a sleek Rolls Royce but somehow, I am. I'm just not used to money and the amount in this garage alone is ridiculous. Aside from the Royce I can count at _least_ five other cars under protective tarps and another sleek, black sedan in the garage.

Alfred opens the back door and Dick slides in. I follow right after him and soon we're making our way out of the garage and around the main drive of the manor. The place looks even bigger from the outside and I'm transfixed as we roll down the smooth stone drive. I _live_ there. Wow.

"It takes some getting used to, calling the manor home but eventually it'll start to feel that way," Dick's voice is soft beside me as he looks out his own window.

I glance over at him and wonder what it must have been like for _him_. He was nine when Bruce brought him here for the first time after spending a few months in Juvie and a few more with a Catholic Orphanage. I can only imagine how magnificent this place must have seemed them. And how lonely. He came from a circus where everyone knew everyone and they were all family. To come here, with a Bruce who still wasn't sure what to do with him and Alfred trying to make the place feel welcoming must have been difficult.

"What was it like? When you first came here? I mean, I've read about it and I've seen a ton of different portrayals of that part of your life but they don't really go in depth about _your_ feelings," I'm hesitant to ask, knowing it's probably personal, but I'm also dying to know. I'm wondering if the aching loneliness I'm feeling is normal, if he felt it too.

He sighs and turns toward me now, shrugging his shoulders, "It was…different. Alfred was great of course, he did everything he could to make me feel welcome but Bruce was distant. I think at first, he only took me in out of pity and because he saw a little bit of himself in me. He didn't really talk to me much and for a long time it was like only Alfred and I lived in the manor at all. I was lonely a lot. And I mean, _lonely_. I was used to warmth and laughter and _people_ but suddenly it was just me and Alfie. It wasn't until I found out Bruce was Batman that things started getting better. We spent time together, he trained me and soon we were closer than I thought possible. He's been like a father to me and now I can't imagine life without him."

"The loneliness, it's normal then?"

He chuckles and nods, "Oh yeah. Hopefully it'll be easier for you though. I'll help where I can and if Bruce can be convinced I think Alfred's right about the Team being helpful too."

"Thank you, again. You have no reason really to let me in like this and yet here we are. Bruce is taking me in and you're being so nice and Alfred is like a mother hen, making sure I'm okay and I'm eating. It's more than I could have hoped for, that's for sure."

"We are very happy to have you, Miss Addilyn," Alfred says from the front, catching my eye in the rearview mirror.

"Definitely. It'll be nice to have someone around to help me prank all the stupid socialites at Bruce's lame fundraisers."

I laugh, "I'm definitely looking forward to that."

 **Well? Let me know what you think! I'm trying to form a bond between Addilyn and Richard without it seeming** _ **too**_ **rushed but in my mind, they would hit it off pretty quickly. She may be a couple years older mentally but this is definitely all new to her so he's kind of her guide!**

 **Like I said before, reviews are always welcome!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Mercy**


	4. Settling

**A/N: UPDATE 07/20/17 I have added a link on my main profile with Addilyn's outfit!**

 **Here we go again! I'm still somewhat ahead in my writing. I'm trying to remain half a chapter ahead in my writing so I can keep posting as regularly as possible! Mondays and Tuesdays are actually my Saturday and Sunday and this time around I spent most of them asleep unfortunately so I didn't get much writing done. Turns out, I needed a lot more sleep than I thought! I hope to have another chapter up at some point this week or maybe early next week! I love all the reviews I'm getting and I hope ya'll keep giving me your feedback! It definitely inspires me to keep writing!**

 **As usual, I own** _ **nothing**_ **recognizable I'm just borrowing them for fun!**

 **THREE: SETTLING**

Hours later we finally return to the manor. The trunk and front seat are piled with bags of clothes and shoes and I'm pretty sure I've never owner so many articles of clothing before in my life. When we went up to the first counter to check out and I heard the total I nearly puked. Alfred and Dick didn't even bat an eye. A credit card was handed over and I think some part of me kept waiting to hear it was declined. But in just a few moments we were on our way. It took three more stores for me to somewhat accept how bottomless Bruce's bank account was. By that point I noticed how _nice_ people were when you walked in with Alfred and Dick next to you. Saleswomen were practically falling over one another to help us, all smiles and laughs. They were even nice to _me_. It was a whole new experience.

I huff out a small breath as we finally turn through the gates of the manor, something in me relaxing as my new home comes into view. I am not good with social settings. They're stressful and a little bit terrifying for me and I always wind up _exhausted_ when I'm finally alone or home again. Apparently that wasn't any different in this world.

"It's a little taxing, being the ward of Gotham's Prince but you'll get used to it, I promise," Dick winks at me as we park in the garage, sliding out of the car and moving to the trunk.

It takes the three of us four trips to get all of our purchases inside and on the bed in my room. By them time we're done I'm ready for a nice, long nap. But Alfred has other plans, "You should probably clean up and change into one of your new outfits, the child services representative will be here within the hour. We can work on putting all of this away after the meeting is over."

I sigh and nod, "Sounds good. I'll be down shortly."

"I can wait in the hall for you. I don't think you've been to the main living room yet and it's kinda hard to find the first few times," Dick offers.

"Thank you, I would really appreciate it. If you want, I can just come get you from your room when I'm done? Sitting in the hallway can't be very fun," I say, already digging through bags trying to find the bathroom items we bought for me.

"Sounds good. I'm two doors to the right."

Alfred seems satisfied with the plan and leaves the room with a small nod. Dick follows after him, shutting the door on his way out and then I'm left alone with the pile of bags filled with brand new clothes.

I manage to find the shower products within only a few minutes and after a few more I have an outfit put together as well. It's different from what I would wear before but I figured this was a new world and a new me so why not try a new look?

The shower is amazing. I didn't even realize how badly I needed it until the water started beating into my back and releasing the tension in my muscles. The warmth is nice too and the pressure is perfect. It's hard to step out twenty minutes later. The scent of strawberries and vanilla fills the room and I inhale deeply, pleased with my shampoo and conditioner choices. The bathroom is steamy and the entire mirror is fogged over now. I can't remember the last time I took a shower long enough to fog even a small mirror. Hot water wasn't to be wasted in my mother's home. There were seven of us who usually had to shower and the water heater had _just_ enough storage to provide hot showers for each of us so long as they weren't longer than ten minutes each.

I towel off and run the new comb Alfred was smart enough to buy through my hair. It's a little different, not snagging on knots every few seconds, but it's definitely a welcome change. Soon my hair falls smoothly to my hips, cold droplets of water falling from the ends. I briefly debate putting my hair up before discarding the idea. If I was going to change my look, it was going to be a full change.

I go back into my bedroom, the clothes I picked laid out on the bed, and change quickly. While the shower was wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I probably shouldn't have taken quite so long. Alfred said the representative would be here within the hour and I'd already used about half of that hour up. I didn't like being late. To anything. So the thought of the representative possibly being downstairs already definitely kicked me into gear.

I change quickly, leaving my borrowed clothes on top of the dresser and head for Dick's room. I knock lightly and wait a moment, hearing movement from inside. A moment later the door is open and Dick is grinning out at me, "You are definitely a girl. That took forever."

I scoff, "It did not take _that_ long."

He laugh and shakes his head, stepping into the hallway. As he's shutting his door behind him I notice his eyes move up and down my body, taking in my new look. The blush is back in his cheeks now and he clears his throat, motioning down the hallway, "Well, let's go then."

For a moment I wonder if maybe my clothes are no good. I chose something rather simple. Blue sweatshirt over a black tank top, fingerless black gloves, a black skirt with a blue belt, thigh high blue tights and black converse with blue laces. It's different from what I used to wear but I'm _pretty_ sure it's normal for this place. I remember how the other members of the Team dressed and this really isn't that odd. So maybe…

I cock my hip and tilt my head to the side, "What? Do I look weird or something?"

His cheeks are flaming now, "N-no. You look…you look good."

This time it's my cheeks heating up as I smile, "Thank you."

He nods mutely and once more we move in silence down the hallway.

We're at the stairs when Dick pauses and turns to me, "Don't be nervous. I had to go through about twelve of these little meetings when Bruce took me in. Back then he was new to this so they had to vet him a little more thoroughly. If you're luck you'll only have a couple of these meetings before everything is settled. They're basically going to ask you how you wound up here and other questions about your treatment and stuff. It's generic stuff they have to ask. Obviously you can't tell them how you _actually_ wound up here."

"I was going to say I was wandering around and when I became hungry I tried to get into the kitchen of the first place I stumbled across which happened to be here. Alfred found me and when Bruce was told he gave me a meal and asked about me before offering me a place to stay. I figured that would work and it _is_ partially true," I shrug slightly, glancing down the stairs where I can hear voices coming from somewhere down one of the side hallways.

"That's good. They probably won't go into too much detail with you. Apparently being on the streets is considered 'traumatizing' and talking about it can bring back bad memories," Dick rolls his eyes now, "It's all a little ridiculous if you ask me."

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

By the time we get to the main living room Dick has gone over just about everything question I could be asked and we've discussed my answers as well. I'm feeling pretty confident about this meeting and any nerves I was feeling have been settled. I just have to make it through this meeting and maybe one or two more and then I'll be a ward of Bruce Wayne. I still can't really believe this is happening.

"Ah, Miss Pierce, there you are. We were about to come find you. Thank you for escorting her, Master Richard. I've made a fresh batch of cookies if you would like to accompany me to the kitchen?" Alfred is standing across the room from us while Bruce is sitting in an armchair with a woman I don't recognize on the couch across from him.

Dick nods, giving my arm a short squeeze, "Good luck."

And then he's walking out another door with Alfred behind him and I'm left alone in the room with Bruce and a social worker. All those nerves suddenly come flooding back and I swallow thickly before moving to the armchair to the left of Bruce. The social worker is smiling kindly, her salt and pepper hair pulled back into a low bun and glasses perched on the edge of her nose. She reminds me of my grandmother and I find myself smiling back.

"Hello, Addilyn. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Dorothea Wilkins and I work with Gotham Child Services. I've been assigned your case," her voice is soft and warm, matching the smile still stretching over her face.

"It's nice to meet you too," I say, not really sure what else I'm supposed to say at this point. I've never met a social worker before, never needed to have a meeting like this.

She turns to Bruce now, apparently satisfied for the moment, "Mr. Wayne, I understand you are trying to obtain legal custody of Miss Pierce? Similar to the guardianship you have over Mr. Grayson, yes?"

Bruce has a wide smile on his face. I recognize it as the one he only ever uses in public, when he has to be the golden child everyone expects him to be, "That's correct. I believe Addilyn found her way her for a reason. I have the means to care for her and Richard seems to have taken a liking to her as well. It would be nice, to have another young face around."

Dorothea nods, scribbling something down on a notepad, "And Addilyn, how _did_ you wind up here? Your last foster home said you went to bed one night about a year ago and by morning you were gone. No one has really seen you since."

I shrug, "I was hungry. I decided to stop at the next house I found and take what I could. It just happened to be Mr. Wayne's home and his butler. Alfred, found me. I thought they were going to call the cops for sure and I would wind up back in foster care or maybe even juvie. But Mr. Wayne offered to let me stay here. He said he knew what it was like to be alone in the world. He told me about Di-Richard and how he helped him. I thought it sounded too good to be true until now."

Dorothea's smile has widened by this point and I can tell she's more than a little eager to let Bruce have his way in this. After all, another happily placed child means less work for her. She looks back over at Bruce, "Well, since we've already been through this process with you once it should be much simpler this time around. We know your home is suitable and we know Miss Pierce will be well cared for. Plus, it's always better to have children placed in the custody of one family if possible. Stables environments are always ideal!"

Bruce chuckles and smiles brightly, "Well, I'm glad to be of help. We're more than happy to take Addilyn in and provide her a healthy home."

Dorothea clicks her pen shut and puts her notepad in her bag, "Well, that should do it for today then. We should have all of the official paperwork ready for you to sign within the next week."

"Sounds perfect."

Dorothea stands, brushing a hand down her clothes to remove any wrinkles and turns to me, one hand held out, "It was very nice to meet you Addilyn. You're a lucky girl, finding Mr. Wayne like you did."

My smile is a little more forced this time as I take in the double meaning behind her words. I wonder just how many people will think the same thing of me: the orphan girl who ran to the richest person she could find. None of them will know I didn't _mean_ to end up here, they'll just see the child who wanted a rich benefactor. I take her hand in mine, "It was nice to meet you too. I'm very lucky it would seem. Mr. Wayne is very generous to offer me a place in his home."

Dorothea turns her gaze back to Bruce, removing her hand from mine quickly and holding it out to him instead, "Always a pleasure, Mr. Wayne."

"The same to you Dorothea," he agrees, shaking her hand and leading her toward the door.

I sigh and fall back into the armchair once they're out of the room. The meeting was much shorter than I thought it would be and Dorothea didn't ask nearly as many questions as I was expecting but I still feel stressed out from the whole ordeal. She very easily could have denied Bruce custody and taken me from here. I don't know what I would have done then.

"That was quicker than I was expecting," Dick's voice makes me jump. He is standing right behind my armchair, resting on the top of it. I didn't even here him come in. Freaking Bats.

"She asked me one question. That's it," I tell him.

He frowns, "That's definitely less than what they asked me. Maybe it's because you were already in the system. Technically they already knew everything about you."

"That's true, I didn't think about that. I guess I was just expecting all the questions about parents and siblings and feelings. But they probably already did all of that when I was younger."

Dick nods, "More than likely. Plus, people don't really like telling Bruce no and since they already went through this once with him they trust him and have a file for him already. Not really much else to do."

Bruce comes back in then and the smiling billionaire is gone replaced by the stoic Batman, "That went well. Once the paperwork is signed they won't bother us anymore, they learned last time not to try and make me jump through all their hoops."

"So, I guess that means I officially live here?"

Bruce nods, "It also means you will need self-defense. Alfred said he mentioned it to you this morning?"

"He did," I pause and glance at Dick, not really sure if I should mention joining the Team yet. Dick just nods encouragingly and I take a deep breath, "I was also wondering about possibly joining the Team at some point?"

Bruce's face goes till but I can see the gears turning behind his eyes. I know he's probably calculating our all the risks of allowing me on the time and weighing them against the possible pros of having me join them. I hope the pros outweigh the cons but there's really no telling with him. I may know a lot about Batman and his world but I was always more focused on Dick and how he reacted to things. He was my favorite after all.

After contemplating for several more minutes he seems to reach a decision, "We'll see how you do with self-defense first. You'll need to train until I'm satisfied you won't get yourself or any of your team members killed. If you manage to reach my standard, I will let you join Dick on the Team. Of course, you will have to hide your identity as well and none of them will know you're from another world."

I'm beaming by the time he's done, "That sounds _perfect_! So, when do we start?"

I swear I see a slight twitch of amusement but it's gone a moment later, "If you already have workout clothes purchased we can start immediately."

"I do! I'll meet you in the cave in like five minutes!" I'm practically bouncing on the balls of my feet now, excited about the idea of getting to train with _the_ Batman and maybe even _Robin_.

Dick cackles from behind me and moves toward the door, "Come on the, I wanna get some training in too. We can head back down together so you don't wind up lost in a random hallway somewhere."

"You know, I am going to figure out the layout of this house eventually and you won't get to say things like that anymore!"

"Yeah, but until then I'm milking this for all it's worth."

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

Ten minutes later I'm standing in the middle of a sparring mat in the Batcave still not believing this is happening. Dick is standing across from me, a smirk on his face, stretching while Bruce's finishes something up on the Batcomputer. Dick has changed out of his sweatshirt and pants and is now wearing the blue and white tank with black bottoms I remember seeing in an episode. My clothes are just as simple: blue tank top with black spandex shorts. Dick also handed me a pair of boots when I first came in. They're feather-light and made of a strange material I've never seen before. Apparently, they help with stealth and they don't hinder movement like normal shoes. I love them already because of how comfy they are.

"You ready to get your butt kicked?" Dick asks as Bruce walks into the room. Even he's changed into workout clothes: black shirt and black shorts with the same black shoes Dick handed me. Somehow, the amount of black is _not_ surprising.

"In your _dreams_ , Bird Boy," I scoff, my slightly competitive nature seeping out. This is the most normal I've felt since waking up and I can't help but let a little sass through. I need to move one and acting like myself is the best way.

Dick barks out a short laugh, "Oh, this is _definitely_ going to be fun!"

Bruce approaches us and stops a few feet away from me, "First things first, do you have _any_ fighting experience?"

I blink, "You mean beside three years of karate when I was seven and _extremely_ basic self-defense?"

Bruce nods.

"No."

Dick cackles again, "Yep, definitely fun."

Bruce's mouth twitches into the smallest of smiles as he glances over his shoulder at Dick, "Go practice on the bars for a bit. I'll assess her skills and we can go from there."

Dick groans but moves toward the other end of the room where all of his gymnastic equipment is set up. I watch him for a second as he swings easily onto a set of bars and starts throwing his body around them like it's nothing. A tiny twinge of jealousy goes through me before I push it down. He was raised as an acrobat, it only makes sense he's that good on gymnastic equipment. Still, I want to be that good one day.

"Alright, we'll run through a few basic moves and some light sparring just so I can get an idea what we're working with. Why don't you show me your defensive stance?" Bruce's voice draws my eyes away from Dick and back to what I _should_ be focusing on.

"Right," I think for minute, trying to remember the karate lessons from my childhood. I'm pleased when my body easily slips into the old stance, somehow remembering how it feels. Huh. I can't even remember the last time I practiced any sort of karate.

Bruce walks around me slowly, studying me for a moment in silence, before humming softly, "You said you took _karate_ classes as a child?"

I nod, "I started when I was seven and stopped when I was ten."

Bruce pauses for a moment, adjusting my elbow ever so slightly, "Your stance is different than I would expect from karate classes. You never learned Akido?"

I blink, "Not that I know of. I'm not really even sure what that is."

"Interesting."

Before I can even blink Bruce's fist is flying toward me. My body seems to move almost on its own, grabbing the fist and twisting my body until I'm suddenly behind him with his wrist in my hand and pressed between his shoulder blades. I squeak and drop his arm immediately, "What the heck just happened?!"

Bruce rubs at his wrist for a moment, "I was testing something. It looks as if you've somehow managed to acquire a bit of fighting ability. I don't know how. Perhaps whatever dragged you here wanted to make sure you could survive as well."

"So you're saying I can _fight_?"

Bruce nods, "Somewhat. You'll still have to train a lot, your moves are sloppy, but you're not a blank slate and you have raw potential. Strength, too."

"That's so cool!"

Bruce just nods and lets out a high-pitched whistle. There's a soft thump on the mats behind us and in a moment Dick is standing next to me. His eyes are bright and excited, "Do I get to spar with her already?"

"Yes. But remember she hasn't been training as long as you have. We don't need her breaking any bones on her first day."

Dick gives Bruce a mock salute, "Aye, aye Captain!"

Bruce moves back a little ways as Dick positions himself in front of me. He looks like he's about to burst from excitement as he bounces from one foot to the other, "You ready for this Addi?"

"Bring it on Dick!"

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

Two hours later, I'm a sore and sweaty mess sprawled over the sparring mats. Two hours of having my butt handed to me has made me seriously doubt Bruce's first assessment. I can't fight, not even a _little_ bit. Obviously it was just beginner's luck and I'm going to have to train _hard_ for years before I can even begin to hold my own. I'm never going to be part of the Team at this rate.

"That was good! Bruce is right, you're sloppy but we can train that out of you!" Dick is grinning as he stands above me, looking like he isn't even _tired_.

I roll my eyes, "Good? That was awful! You kicked my butt all over the place."

Dick cackles, "Yeah, but I've also been doing this since I was _nine_ so…"

"Yeah, yeah but it's going to take me _forever_ to get as good as you!"

"Not if you practice! Come on, Alfie doesn't like when we show up for dinner sweaty," Dick offers me a hand and I take it, letting him pull me up.

I groan as the muscles in my arms and back twinge painfully. God, tomorrow is going to _suck_ , "I could use a nice, long shower anyway. I'm going to be so sore tomorrow."

"Maybe Bruce will go easy on you and only make you train for _half_ the day."

"I'm gonna be sore forever, aren't I?"

"Nah, just for the first couple of weeks probably."

"A couple of _weeks_? Man, I'm really regretting not being more active in my previous life."

"Don't worry, you'll catch on quickly. You really are doing well already! Bruce was right, you have raw potential you just don't have any training yet so it's kind of useless. You'd survive a fight with some of the lower level goons but you're definitely not at boss battles levels yet!"

"Boss battle? Is that what you call your fights with Joker?"

Dick nods with a wide grin, "I mean, in video games he _would_ be the boss battle so I figured why not call it that in real life? It definitely feels like a boss battle whenever I go against him."

"Those battles do seem to be a little bit harder from what I remember seeing. Especially Joker," I shiver, "I don't ever want to be alone with him. He's terrifying."

Dick gives a small nod, "Bruce tries to keep me out of the battles involving Joker."

"With good reason! Joker is _insane_."

"I know. He kind of terrifies me too. I won't ever tell Bruce that though, he'll never let me near another Joker mission again if I do."

I nod, knowing he's right about that. I can still remember reading about the incident with Two-Face, Batman wouldn't let Robin on patrol for a long time after that. He technically fired him. That was hard to read and seeing Richard so injured was awful. While that battle didn't happen in this version of the multiverse, I imagine Bruce's reaction would have been fairly similar in this multiverse to his counterpart's.

"Honestly? He terrifies me too and I've never actually _met_ him," I tell him quietly.

He gives me a lopsided grin, "I think that's normal. If you _weren't_ afraid of him I would think something was wrong with you."

"I would have to agree with you on that. I bet even _Bruce_ is a little scared of him," I say quietly.

Robin gives a slow nod, "I think so too. He wouldn't be so hesitant to let me near him if he wasn't."

"Definitely."

Dick grabs a towel and wipes at his face, "We should probably go shower now. Bruce is going to come looking for us soon."

I nod, knowing he's probably right. Bruce left us to train on our own once Dick started walking me through basic takedown moves and kicking my butt quite effectively. It was obvious by that point I was going to need a lot of training and Dick obviously had a handle on the basic stuff well enough to teach it to me.

"Hey Dick, I didn't actually have the upper hand with Bruce did I?" I ask before he disappears into the locker room.

He smirks and gives a small chuckle, "No. He was testing you. He could have easily taken you down but he wanted to see what you would do."

I frown, I guess I should have expected that. Me? Getting the upper hand with _Batman_? Yeah, as if.

"If it makes you feel better, you passed," then he disappears through the locker room door and I'm left feeling oddly satisfied.

 **And that's another chapter down! I hope you all liked it! I didn't want Addilyn to be** _ **totally**_ **useless but I also didn't want her to start out at like Robin level. I've seen that done way too much! I am planning a few things in regards to her…capabilities. I plan on revealing those at some point in the next few chapters! I am in love with the amount of reviews I've been receiving and all the feedback ya'll have provided me! It's all so useful and I definitely take into account all of your thoughts when I'm writing! So keep those reviews coming!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Mercy**


	5. Training

**A/N: Okay, so here's take two on this chapter. It's mostly just going over Addilyn's training and it hints a bit at the friendship building between her and Dick. I actually like this a lot better than my original version of this chapter and I** _ **really**_ **hope ya'll enjoy it too! You can always let me know with a review!**

 **As always, I own nothing you can recognize.**

 **FOUR: TRAINING**

That first day is about as easy as it gets training wise. I thought I was prepared and would catch pretty quickly. While the physical aspect of the training came easier than I expected, it was still _extremely_ difficult. Every morning Dick woke me up at freaking dawn to go on a seven mile jog. _Seven. Miles_. After the jog, we would eat the meal Alfred made for us (always something healthy and full of protein) before we headed down to the Cave. Mornings were spent sparring and learning new moves and basically getting my butt handed to me. Bruce was able to train with us for part of the morning before he needed to make his daily appearance at Wayne Enterprises but for the most part it was Dick training me at this point. I was still bad enough Alfred probably could have trained me.

We would break for lunch around noon or one every day and once again Alfred already had something extremely healthy ready and waiting for us. I was seriously starting to miss pizza and hamburgers. After lunch was _more_ training. The first half of the afternoon, Dick would take me to his specialized gymnastic equipment and teach me some basic aerial maneuvers and work on my flexibility. I always felt _extremely_ outclassed at this point in our day. Dick could _fly_. All I seemed capable of was falling.

Once Bruce came back home I would get the chance to shower and change before we ate an early ( _healthy_ ) dinner. Afterwards, the mental training started. I asked once, why we did all the physical training and _then_ the mental training. Bruce and Dick gave me roughly the same answer: to prepare for real missions. I was going to be tired and sore and ready to stop but my brain would have to keep functioning at the same capacity as when I started. I just wanted a nap somewhere in my day.

Bruce's mental training included learning how to hack through firewalls and advanced security protocols, understanding circuitry, picking up a few new languages, lip-reading and understanding body language. I would spend _hours_ with my nose in a book or my eyes glued to a computer screen or my fingers tracing wires and figuring out each one's function. There were a lot of nights I would sit at the Batcomputer studying and learning while Batman and Robin went out on patrol. They let me listen in to their comms but I wasn't allowed to say anything at this point. I was supposed to learn how they communicated and handled things as well during this time.

Needless to say, by the end of the first week I was exhausted. By the end of the second, I felt like I was dying. My brain and my muscles were sore and I just wanted a day to _sleep_. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be in the cards for me. I had a lot of catching up to do and that was only becoming more and more obvious with each passing day. Dick said I was doing well, progressing quicker than he did through most of the combat training, but I could tell I was lagging in the mental training. Languages I could get, for some reason they came to me easily, but when it came to circuitry and hacking I was _struggling_.

Dick tries to encourage me of course, telling me it's hard for everyone in the beginning, but I know it never was for him. I smile and nod and pretend I'm not completely frustrated. Some nights, when I can't take the annoyance of failure anymore, I use his equipment in the gym. I turn the speakers on so I can still hear everything happening on patrol but I tune out everything else. I let myself fly the way Dick has been teaching me and while I'm still nowhere near his grace at least I can see and feel my progress.

It's on one of my more frustrating nights when Dick finds me after patrol, watching me with thinly veiled amusement for a moment before approaching the edge of the mats under the bars. The bars are my favorite, I can throw myself around and around and burn off a lot of frustration. I pause now though, perching on the highest bar and looking down at Dick. He's changed back into his civilian clothing (this time just a thin t-shirt and shorts) and his blue eyes are dancing with amusement, "Rough night?"

I shrug and let myself swing until I'm hanging upside down on the bar, my knees hooking over the bar, "Frustrating."

"What was it tonight?" he asks, hopping up onto the lowest bar and facing me. Like this, we're about three feet away from each other and he's eye-level with me.

I sigh, "Hacking again. I just…can't figure it out. And I'm not use to that, _failing_ at something."

"You're not _failing_. I told you before, it isn't easy. I struggled a bit too at the beginning. You'll figure it out. Bruce doesn't expect you to be _amazing_ at it, just capable enough to unlock some doors and access protected documents for now. I couldn't do half the stuff I can now when I first started out, most of it came with practice in the field. You're doing really well."

"Thanks," I say, though I don't really believe him, "So, how are things with the Team? You had your first mission recently, right?"

Dick shrugs, "We did. It went fine, we chose a leader."

I pull myself up now, swinging around so my legs are dangling over the bar again and cock my head to the side, "Oh?"

Dick nods, "Aqaulad."

"And you're okay with that?"

He thinks for a minute and I wonder if he's thinking back over the mission. Seeing everything Aqualad did right, proving himself as their leader, "Yeah…yeah, I'm okay with it. I'm not ready yet. I thought I was, I thought since I've been working with Batman for so long I would be the natural choice. But I'm not. I know how Batman works and how he thinks, we don't really need to talk that much when we're working together, we just _know_. That doesn't really work with the Team. Too many different minds."

"I could see that being an issue. You and Bats have worked together _forever_. I'm sure it's the same for the others too though. They know what their mentors expect of them but now they have to relearn too."

Dick nods with a smile, "Yeah, you're about that. Aqualad is a good choice though. He proved as much during the mission."

"Good. Sounds like the Team is doing well."

Dick glances up at me, "Yeah, but you already knew that."

I shrug with a smile, "True. But it's different being here and experiencing it, not just watching it on television."

"Sounds trippy."

"A bit, yeah," I laugh.

Dick drops off the bar now, "Come on, it's getting late and Alfred hates when we don't get a solid four hours of sleep."

I sigh and nod, "Alright, alright. I think I've calmed down enough to actually sleep now anyway."

I stand up, balancing precariously on the bar before launching off, managing to flip and twist my body before my feet connect solidly with the ground. I've gotten a lot better at sticking my landings recently. I guess all the venting sessions in here are helping more than I realized.

"You're getting better," Dick praises, tossing me a small towel.

I wipe at my face and drop the towel around my neck, "Thanks. I just wish Bruce thought it was enough."

"You're getting closer. I'm sure within the next month or so you'll be out on the streets and working with the Team."

I groan, "I can't imagine another month of this."

He cackles, "It's not so bad. At least you'll have school soon so you won't need to train all day, every day anymore. Plus, Alfred is really picky about homework being done _before_ any nighttime activities.""

"Ugh, I forgot there would be homework."

"Don't worry, I'll help you. Oh, and you'll get to meet Babs. She's pretty smart too so you're covered."

 _Babs_. I smile at the nickname. Barbara Gordon. Dick's best friend and occasional love interest depending on who you ask and which story you're following. I've always like her. She's sassy and tells Dick the truth, even if it hurts them both. Honestly, meeting her is almost as exciting as meeting the Team. I'm actually pretty surprised I haven't _already_ met her.

"I'll see you in the morning, Addi," Dick waves as he passes my bedroom door and heads into his room.

"Night, Dick," I call as I step into my own room.

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

The next morning, I get to sleep in somewhat. As in, the sun is kind of up when Dick bangs on my door. I groan and throw a pillow at the door, "Go away."

There's a cackle, "Come on, Addi. Time to get moving!"

I grumble and roll back over to sleep.

"If you aren't up in the next five minutes I'm sending Alfred in and we all know how that went last time."

I nearly jump out of bed and fly across the room, flinging the door open, "I'm up. Don't you _dare_ send him in here."

Dick laughs, "I won't but hurry up. Nice hair by the way."

I flick his shoulder, "Shut up. I'll see you downstairs in a little bit. Now go away."

Dick winks and turns away, "Twenty minutes, Addi. Then I'm sending Alfie in."

I groan and shut my door, leaning against it and coaxing myself into getting ready. The only reason I'm able to push myself off the door and into my bathroom is the thought of Alfred. He doesn't play games when it comes to morning calls. Last time, he threw the curtains open, yanked the sheets off my bed (practically tossing me to the floor) and when I didn't move to get up proceeded to pull me up by my ear. It wasn't pleasant.

I rub at my ear absently as I turn the shower on, yawning and wishing I could curl back up for just ten more minutes. I really am not a morning person. The water helps wake me up a little bit, easing my tense back and shoulder muscles and clearing some of the fog from my brain.

By the time I'm showered and changed into my usual workout clothes (stretchy tank and calf-length leggings) I'm coming up on my twenty minute mark. I grab the headphones and MP3 Alfred bought for me at some point during the week, already loaded with a ton of my favorite music, and make my way toward the kitchen. Alfred is coming up the stairs as I head down and he pauses when he sees me, "I was just coming to fetch you Miss Addilyn. It's good to see my services are not needed today."

"I couldn't agree more, Alfie," I tell him, grinning and following him back down the stairs into the kitchen.

Dick is sitting at the bar, drinking a green concoction of some kind and I groan. Anytime he has a _shake_ for breakfast I'm usually in for a world of hurt. I slide onto my own bar stool and Alfred hands me my own shake. I sip at it, trying to ignore the weird taste and look over at Dick, "You're going to kick my butt today aren't you?"

" _We_ are," somehow I manage to keep from jumping as Bruce walks in from the hallway to the side, dressed in a loose shirt and basketball shorts. I forgot it was Saturday which means Bruce will be home all day with us. Saturdays and Sundays are the hardest days of the week. Dick doesn't go easy on me but Bruce is _tough_ and he expects a lot more.

I sigh and drink the rest of my shake in silence. There's a steady thrum of soreness covering my whole body and while it's nowhere near as bad as it was during the first week it still make me fidget a few times.

Bruce, being Bruce, notices of course, "You need to stretch more. Did you remember to stretch after your workout last night at all?"

I shake my head, "I forgot last night."

"Don't skip it. You're going to make it harder on yourself and you won't make any progress."

"Yes, sir."

Bruce nods, seeming satisfied and hands his empty glass to Alfred. He stands and moves toward the back door, "Let's go."

I down the last of my shake and hand the glass to Alfred as well, Dick following right behind me as I trail after Bruce. I stretch my arms as I walk, pulling them across my chest and twisting my torso. There's a painful twinge up my back and I wince. Definitely shouldn't have skipped the stretching last night. We wind our way across the property, heading for my favorite trail at the far edge. I like this trail because it winds through trees and requires a little more concentration. I can almost forget we're going for a run when we go on this trail.

Bruce is standing at the head of the trail, stretching his legs and shaking out his limbs. I follow his lead, feeling the pulls and tugs I've grown used to by now. Dick stretches beside me, "You ready to lose Addi?"

I scoff, "As if. You didn't beat me last week, what makes you think you can this week?"

He smirks, "I've been training."

" _When_?"

"Before patrols."

My eyes dart to Bruce, "You _covered_ for him so he could train?"

Bruce chuckles, not answering as he takes off down the trail.

"Dammit, Bruce!"

Dick is cackling as we start our own run. I shake my head, even more determined not to lose.

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

Thirty minutes later I'm waiting at the end of the trial for Dick. I'm panting, covered in sweat and my legs feels like jello but I _won_. I even managed to keep up with _Bruce_. It's the first time I've managed to keep so close to him. Usually, I can see him through the trees, far enough ahead I lose him on turns. This time though, I kept pace. I'm feeling pretty proud of myself as Dick comes running out of the trees, looking as tired as me. He looks over at Bruce, "Did it work?"

"Like a charm," Bruce says as he pats Dick on the shoulder.

"Did _what_ work?" I ask, glancing between the two of them.

Dick's flat out beaming now, "Bruce wanted to see how fast you could _really_ go."

I blink, "Wait, so you knew I would probably beat you?"

Dick shrugs, "You're fast. That much is obvious but you're always holding back. Bruce wanted to see how fast you could go when you _weren't_ holding back. Turns out, you're extremely fast. Not just anyone can keep up with Bruce."

Bruce chuckles, "I wasn't going as fast as I could but your speed is impressive."

Now it's my turn to smile, "Really?"

Bruce nods, "Really." 

I feel pride swell in my chest. Bruce doesn't give praise lightly and this is the first _real_ praise he's ever given me. Sure, I've seen the twitch of lips whenever I get something right like he's trying not to smile and every now and then he'll give me a little nod of approval during a sparring match with Dick but never outright praise. Maybe all the soreness and exhaustion will be worth it after all.

"Come on, it's time for some sparring."

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

Our sparring session ends up running until lunch, leaving me sore and breathless but also feeling extremely accomplished. I managed to beat Dick three out of seven times (my best record so far) and Bruce sparred with me for a few rounds as well. I didn't beat him but I felt like I was holding my own against him fairly well. Our bouts were growing longer and longer these days, my reflexes getting better and my ability to predict Batman's next move growing.

Of course, that didn't keep me from being slammed onto the sparring mat at the end of one of our bouts. I groan, "Totally almost had you that time."

Bruce smirks and offers me a hand, "Not quite. But you're getting closer."

I take his hand, letting him pull me up, "One of these days I'm going to knock you to the mat."

"You'll have to stop leaving your left side open first and don't pull your punches so much," he glances at Dick, "her footwork is much better. Good job."

Dick drops his feet to the ground, gracefully releasing his handstand, "It wasn't easy but she caught on eventually."

"I'm right here you know," I grumble, grabbing a towel and wiping at the sweat pouring down my face.

Robin winks, "Its okay, one day you'll be an adult and join in on these conversations too."

"Speaking of, it's been almost a month since I came here. I'm coming up on my third week of training too. Any idea how much longer it'll be before I can join the Team or even just go on patrol?"

Bruce hesitates, "I've considered letting you at least meet the Team. I don't think you're ready to officially join them yet or go out in the field but you're getting there. I want to test you in Gotham first, where I can have both your back and Robin's. One I'm certain you can handle it, I'll let you officially on the Team."

I nod, "I can work with that. Will I get to listen in on their missions, like I do here? It would probably be helpful for me to get an idea how they mesh. Watching it on television and living it? Totally different."

"I think we can work something out. You'll remain in the Mountain though, the temptation to interfere will be too great otherwise."

I don't like the idea of being practically useless very much but I nod anyway, knowing there's probably no convincing him otherwise, "Fine."

"Good. Now, one more match before lunch and then we can go over an alias for you."

Now that's a conversation I'm looking forward to.

 **So? I hope that wasn't too boring for any of ya'll! I do plan on bringing the Team in either with the next chapter or the one after, I'm still deciding on that. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and will stick around for the next one!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Mercy**


	6. Sparrow

**A/N: Here we go once again! I hope this chapter is to your satisfaction! It's a bit shorter but it's one of those chapters where there isn't really a better place to leave off. Going any further would throw us into the middle of a whole other idea that could very easily be a stand-alone chapter. So instead of making this one ridiculously long I decided to cut it off a little earlier than usual! I hope ya'll enjoy!**

 **As usual, I own nothing you can recognize.**

 **FIVE: SPARROW**

Two more weeks pass and while my training is progressing and I'm learning a lot, I'm also getting a little…stir-crazy. I haven't left the manor property much since I got here. Bruce has taken me to Wayne Enterprises twice and I've been to one fundraiser banquet but for the most part I don't leave. I spend all day in the Batcave training and then I go to bed and wake up doing it all over again. During those two weeks, the Team went on their second mission. Guarding the dismembered Amazo parts and then ending up in a fight in the Gotham Academy gym. Artemis saves Wally, Superboy learns to control his anger and their teamwork improves quite a bit. Which means Artemis will be joining the Team within the next few days. Ideally, that's when I would like to be ready to at least _meet_ them even if I can't be part of the Team officially.

"Addi! Come down from there, Bruce wants to see you!" Dick calls from the ground.

I feel a tiny flicker of hope. Maybe I've finally proven I'm ready and he's going to let me meet the Team. I quickly shove that hope down though, no needs to get excited when there's been no sign he's going to let me meet them since that day he brought it up. We decided on my alias and even designed my uniform but since then, nothing.

I meet Dick on the floor, stretching out a few sore muscles as we make our way out of the gym, "Any idea what he wants?"

Dick shrugs, "Nope."

I glance at him out of the corner of my eye, "You're lying."

He shrugs again, "Don't know what you mean. All he said was he wanted to see you."

"Uh-huh," I still don't believe him but I also know he's not going to get me any answers. He's learned how to keep secrets from the best secret-keeper out there after all.

When I step onto the main platform of the cave with the Batcomputer Bruce is standing near the glass cases holding his and Robin's uniforms. There's a covered portion to the right of the Robin uniform. I pause, still not daring to hope, "What's going on?"

Dick's smirk grows a little wider but he doesn't say anything as he leans against the Batcomputer desk. Alfred is standing to the side, a pleased look on his face.

Bruce chuckles slightly, "I think you already know."

My eyes widen slightly and my gaze darts to the covered object, "No way."

Bruce reaches out and pulls the covering off. There, in a glass case of its own, is a uniform. _My_ uniform. Holy. Crap. In the past two weeks I've drawn and redrawn it, tweaking things here and there but I never outright told Bruce about my sketches. I mean, he designed Robin's uniform so I knew he could manage and I was still new to all of this. I wasn't worried.

But this was so much better because right before me, in a gleaming case, was the uniform _I designed._ Red one piece suit (no doubt equipped with the latest in Wayne Tech) with yellow clasps up the chest, thigh high black boots with a yellow band around the top, a solid black cape which would probably reach to my upper thighs, elbow-length fingerless black gloves and my own utility belt. The suit is perfect, shorts on the bottom (thank _God_ it isn't a skirt) and a sleeveless top with the neckline reaching just under my chin (again, like Robin's own suit). There's a bright yellow "S" on the left breast. I like how similar it is to Robin's own uniform. Clean lines, dark enough to hide in shadows but not solid black and just enough difference between his and mine to make it unique.

"This…this is perfect," I mutter, my hand reaching hesitantly toward the glass case. I'm almost afraid if I touch it, it's going to disappear.

"Told you she would like it," Dick chirps, grinning from his place near the Batcomputer.

"Like it? I _love_ it!" I'm practically squealing now and bouncing on the balls of my feet but I can't help it. This is the best news I've had since my training started. I whirl on Bruce now, "Wait…does this mean I get to meet the Team soon?"

He nods, "Tonight."

"Seriously?!"

"Yes. They don't have any missions on the roster for the night so it would be a good time to introduce you. Of course, for the first mission or two you'll still be ground support from the Mountain. I want to test you out in Gotham still," Not even being confined to the Mountain during missions can dampen my spirits.

I'm _finally_ meeting the Team and soon I'll be going on missions too, "So, when's my first patrol?"

"Sometime this week. I'll let you know," Bruce is already turning back to the Batcomputer now.

"So, I take it you finally agreed with me on my alias?" I motion toward the "S" emblazoned on the chest.

He sighs and nods, "You had valid points and I suppose having a bird theme isn't so bad."

Dick moves across the room, "What alias did you decide on?"

I grin, "Sparrow."

Dick nods with his own grin, "I like it. I guess it's good I taught you how to fly then."

"Apparently. After all, what kind of bird would I be if I was grounded?"

"A lame one."

We both chuckle at that.

Alfred approaches us after a moment, "Congratulations, Miss Addilyn. However, I do hope you don't turn out like these two and throw yourself into danger unnecessarily. Patching up them keeps me busy enough."

"Isn't throwing myself into danger part of the job description? I mean, if I don't who will?"

Alfred sighs and shakes his head, "I cannot argue against you on that but please remember there are people who would be devastated if something happened to you, hm?"

I nod with a small smile, "I promise not to be reckless."

"That is all I ask."

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

The rest of the day _drags_. Dick takes me back into the gym where we spar for a few hours but not even that can keep me from feeling antsy about tonight. _I'm meeting the Team_. I've been waiting for this for over a _month_ now. I understand why Bruce wanted to train me first, it's not just regular civilian's whose lives will be in my hands it's also my fellow Team members. I have to be able to protect myself and them if needed. I definitely was _not_ at that level when I first came here.

"Addiiiii…Earth to Addi," Dick's voice jolts me from my thoughts and I blink, realizing he's staring at me. Along with Bruce and Alfred.

We're at the dining room table having a small dinner before heading to the Mountain. I obviously zoned out. Again. I feel my cheeks heat up, "Sorry, sorry. I zoned out again. I'm just really excited. Did you ask me something?"

Dick cackles, "I asked if you were nervous."

"Oh. Um, maybe a little? I think I've just been more excited than anything."

"I'm sure you'll be fine. The Team is pretty cool."

I nod and take another bite from my plate, "We're not telling them about my…circumstances though right?"

Bruce shakes his head, "No. They don't know much about our situation in general. They shouldn't ask too many questions, they know I like my privacy and are too scared to try and go behind my back."

I snort, "You've got that right. They think you're terrifying. It's actually really amusing."

Bruce's mouth twitches, "And you don't find me scary?"

I bark out a short laugh, "No. I know you're a good guy and wouldn't _actually_ do anything to hurt any of us. You're a good guy, Bruce. You just don't let people see it when you're Batman. Which I get. It's hard to scare the scum of the world if they think you're a big softie after all."

Bruce stares at me for a long minute, "Sometimes I forget just _how much_ you already know about us."

I'm full blushing now, "Sorry. I try not to make it too obvious if I can. I know it has to be weird. Especially since you're still learning about me."

Dick winks, "I think it's pretty asterous."

I shake my head, "You and the English language."

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

We finish dinner shortly after that and I all but sprint to the Cave entrance. Dick is close behind me while Bruce and Alfred follow at more normal pace. We probably seem like children to them, unable to control the excitement bubbling up but I don't even care. This is so _awesome_.

I grab my uniform from the case and shut myself in a changing room. I strip immediately and I'm fully dressed again in about five minutes. The uniform fits _perfectly_ which really shouldn't be surprising. Alfred got all my measurements a week ago because I needed a dress made for an upcoming banquet Bruce was hosting. Apparently it was also for my uniform. Clever.

I take a minute to check my appearance in the mirror. I've never been a very vain person but holy crap, I love looking at myself in this uniform. The one piece fits like a glove and I'm suddenly very thankful for the intense workouts Bruce and Dick have been putting me through. I would _not_ have been comfortable wearing this before coming here. Every single curve is accentuated and glaringly obvious which means any fat on my body would have been there for everyone to see. Thank God for being in Bat-level shape.

There's a knock on the door behind me, "Come on, Addi. You're such a _girl_."

I roll my eyes, "I'm coming, I'm coming."

I grab my mask, the last part of the uniform, and apply the spirit gum before pressing it over my face. The mask molds around the bridge of my nose, sinking into the dips around my eyes and when I look in the mirror again I can't help the grin. Yeah, totally awesome.

I take a breath and open the door now. Dick – Robin – is standing outside waiting for me. He looks me up and down before nodding, "You look like a hero."

My cheeks heat up and I smile, "Thanks. I finally feel like one."

Dick and I head back into the main atrium of the Cave where Batman is already waiting. I haven't seen him decked out in a while either. They leave for patrol before I finish my evening workout and most nights when they come back I'm in the gym letting out some pent up energy or frustration and he's changed by the time Dick fetches me. The last time I saw him in his Batman garb was probably my first night here.

Now, as he takes in my new look, I stand a little taller and finally feel like I belong. He doesn't say anything or really acknowledge the change, just turns back to typing furiously at the computer. I recognize the Batman persona taking over and I know the Bruce I've gotten to know is gone in place of the stoic dark hero. I really don't know how he can change so much just by putting on a cowl and cape. The Bruce I know and the one everyone else knows aren't the same but he still shows more emotion than Batman.

"I've built you into the Zeta system," he says without turning away from the computer, "Do you remember the different functions your mask has?"

I nod, "Yes. Night vision, thermal vision, x-ray vision and I don't need to worry about throwing a smoke bomb because the mask will see through it."

"How do you switch between the lenses?"

"Double tap on the right side near my temple."

He nods, "Good. I don't see you needing any of them soon but you can never be too prepared."

"Can we go now?" Robin chirps, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Batman nods, turning from the computer now, "Yes. Everything looks good for the night. I'll take you both there and make sure introductions go smoothly then return to patrol Gotham. I expect you both back here no later than three in the morning."

"Plenty of time to get to know everyone!" I say happily, following Robin to the Cave's Zeta tube.

He steps through in a blinding flash of white light. When it dies down he's gone. I take a deep breath, suddenly terrified of what I'm about to do. Batman's hand lands on my shoulder for the briefest moment, giving a tight squeeze, before he steps through the Zeta tube as well.

Here goes nothing.

 **I hope ya'll enjoyed that! I tried to make her training last a little longer this time. If I did my calculations right the last part of this** _ **should**_ **fall the night before Artemis joins the Team. I apologize if I'm wrong, I'm using the dates provided online for the episodes and working to line everything up as best I can. But, I am human so I might mess up. I really appreciate all the reviews ya'll have been leaving! They make me smile and the amount of** _ **constructive**_ **criticism has been wonderful! I'm not a perfect writer, I know that, and any help ya'll can provide I'm more than happy to accept!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Mercy**


	7. Allies

**A/N: And another chapter! Sorry this one took a bit longer to write, I'm trying to pace everything as best I can while also keeping things moving. The Team was also a little harder to write than I originally thought they would be so that took a little bit of time as well. I'm sorry if they seem a bit OOC, I wanted to have some subtle differences in them but nothing too major so hopefully I did okay on that front!**

 **SIX: ALLIES**

 _Recognized. Sparrow. B-07._

Everything is white for a moment after I step through the zeta tube. I can hear the murmur of voices, Robin's among them. They sound excited and a little curious. When my vision starts coming back I realize Batman is standing in from of me, temporarily blocking me from view. The Team knows I'm hear after the zeta's announcement but I'm grateful to have a moment to compose myself. I never realized how much traveling by zeta would make my stomach flip. I swallow a few times, trying to avoid throwing up. That would be a _great_ first impression.

Once I'm certain my dinner is staying in my stomach I step up next to Batman, squaring my shoulders and trying to look confident as Batman clears his throat to gain the Team's attention. Robin is standing in the middle of their small cluster and they all turn when he does. Kid Flash, Aqualad, Miss Martian and Superboy. In the flesh. Wow.

"Team, this is Sparrow. She's going to be joining you once her training has finished. I wanted to introduce her before then though to help with the adjustment period that comes with a new team member," Batman's voice draws all of their eyes to me and I work not to fidget under their scrutiny.

"Rob, you didn't tell me you were bringing a _girl_ with you tonight," Kid Flash is directly in front of me between one blink and the next. He waggles his eyebrows at me, "Hi there, the name's Kid Flash but you can call me Wally."

"It's nice to meet you, Wally," I hold out a hand for him to shake, "Robin's told me a lot about you."

Kid Flash takes my hand and brushes a kiss over my knuckles, "All good things, I'm sure."

I snort and pull my hand back, "Yes. He also warned me you were a flirt."

Kid Flash shoots Robin a look before grinning at me again, "You can't believe everything he says."

"Uh huh," I grin slightly, amused by his antics. Kid Flash was always the funniest member of the Team in my opinion. He was also the optimistic one which I adored. Even when things got bad he was there with a quick remark and an even quicker smile. Plus, his souvenirs were pretty awesome.

Aqualad steps forward next, "Welcome to the Team, Sparrow. I am Aqualad. Kaldur'ahm, or Kaldur, to my friends. I am pleased to have you join us."

I smile back politely, shaking the hand he holds out to me, "It's nice to meet you too, Kaldur'ahm. I look forward to working with you."

Aqualad nods and returns my smile. Always polite, always in control. No one would ever guess at the turmoil just under the surface of that smile and those kind eyes. Always selfless. I wonder, briefly, if I can help him. If I can show him it's okay to let others know when you are stressed or unsure without fear of judgment. He's already a good leader, but he could be _great_.

"Hi there, I'm Miss Martian but everyone calls me Miss M or M'gann! I'm so happy to have another girl around!" Miss Martian has her hands clasped under her chin, her eyes bright with excitement as she floats in front of me.

I can't help the wide smile breaking across my face at her reaction. M'gann is adorable, like a puppy. Easily excitable, always cheerful and fiercely loyal, "Hello, M'gann. It's nice to know I won't be the only girl around here. Robin says you like baking?"

She nods enthusiastically, "I _love_ to bake and cook."

"Maybe you can teach me a thing or two. I tend to burn everything I try to cook," I drop my voice lower, like I'm giving her one of my biggest secrets.

She giggles, "I did too when I first started learning. But don't worry, Wally will still eat whatever you make."

I chuckle, "That's good to hear."

Superboy steps forward slightly. He isn't as close as the rest of them, keeping slightly to the edge of the group, but he nods slightly in my direction, "Superboy."

I give him a short nod back, "Nice to meet you."

I still remember how Superboy was at this point in time: confrontational, a little lost, and not overly trusting. I couldn't blame him of course, he spent the beginning of his life in a tube being fed information about the outside world from psychic little gnome things who could control his mind. I shiver, those little things always creeped me out. Glowing horns, red eyes and contorted little bodies. Nope, nope, nope.

"How do you and Robin know one another?" Aqualad's question draws me back to the rest of the group again.

"Come on, you know you aren't supposed to ask about our lives outside of here. She's already been told not to say anything too," Robin pipes up, throwing an arm over my shoulders and grinning.

I shrug at the frustrated looks on Aqualad and Kid Flash's faces. They're both used to this but I doubt that makes it any easier. After all, we know both of their civilian names but they know next to nothing about us. I also can't really blame Bruce though. He's famous. If Bruce's or Batman's enemies found out who he really was it could be extremely dangerous. Finding out my identity or Dick's would unravel the whole thing. So we have to keep our mouths shut.

Batman clears his throat from behind me and suddenly all eyes are on him without hesitation, "I need to patrol Gotham. Robin, Sparrow remember what we discussed."

I nod and Robin gives Batman a thumbs up, "We'll see you later."

Batman turns on his heel. With a flourish of his black cape and the blinding light of the Zeta tube he's gone. Suddenly, it's just me and the Team and now I'm nervous. I chew on my bottom lip, uncertain how I'm supposed to interact with them. I mean, with Batman here they kind of _have_ to be friendly but he's gone now. They might not like me. Childish thought, I know.

"So, how old are you Sparrow?" Miss Martian asks, "You look like you aren't much older than Robin."

"I'm actually older than him."

"By like, _five days_ ," Robin protests, much to everyone's amusement.

"Five days or five minutes, I'm still older," I stick my tongue out and laugh when he rolls his eyes.

"I have more experience though so technically you still have to listen to me," he counters with a smug look on his face.

I ruffle his hair much to his disdain, "I'm still taller."

"That doesn't mean anything. I can still kick your butt."

"For now."

"You two seem pretty close," Kid Flash is suddenly right next to us, eyes narrowed in suspicion as he looks back and forth between the two of us, "How long have you known each other?"

"A little over a month now?" I honestly can't remember _exactly_ how long I've been here. I know it's been at least a month but it was hard to keep perfect track of the days when I spent most of my time training in the Cave.

"Wait, you've been around for a month and we're _just_ meeting you?" Kid Flash looks to Robin again, "Dude, you've been keeping her hidden from the rest of us for a _month_?"

Robin huffs out in annoyance, "You know how Batman is. He wanted to make sure she was trained before introducing her. Plus, we had to make sure we could trust her."

Kid Flash stares at him for a long moment before letting out a small sigh, "I guess that makes sense. We don't need people we can't trust on the Team."

I have to force myself to smile and nod. I'm technically hiding things from them. Doesn't that make me untrustworthy? I mean, an _actual_ trustworthy person doesn't hide things from their fellow Team members or their friends. They are up front about everything. And yet, here I was keeping secrets that could very well prevent a lot of future tragedy.

"Has Bats mentioned any potential missions recently? It's been so boring recently," Wally lets out a dramatic sigh, putting on his best wounded face.

"You know he doesn't tell me about missions until we're given them."

Wally groaned, "Man. I really wanted another mission before I had to go back to school tomorrow. It isn't fair you don't go back until _next_ week."

"Hey, it's not my fault you don't live in Gotham. We have to have some sort of perk, dealing with the amount of crime we do."

Wally waved a hand dismissively, "Yeah, yeah whatever. What should we do on my last night of freedom?"

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

Hours later Robin and I head back through the Zeta tube and step into the Cave. Batman isn't back from patrol yet but Alfred is tidying up the medical rooms and he smiles warmly when he sees us, "I trust you had a good night with the Team?"

I nod enthusiastically, "It was great! We watched a movie and then I kicked everyone's butts in some video games. Wally was so mad!"

Robin cackles, "Oh man, I thought he was going to _lose_ it when you beat him for the third time in a row. I had no idea you were so good at video games."

"We haven't really had a chance to play them much since I came here. Back home though, I was pretty good if I do say so myself. I even had a series of Batman video games. Those were always kind of difficult but man, they were _fun_."

"There were Batman _video games_?"

I laugh and nod, peeling my mask off my face, "Oh yeah, a _ton_. There was this one series I absolutely _loved_ though centered on Arkham. I think out of those, _Arkham Origins_ was my favorite. Lots of cool assassins and backstory you don't get very often. You would probably really like them. _Lots_ of strategy involved."

"That sounds awesome."

"It is."

"I'm glad you seem to be getting along with the others, Miss Addilyn. I knew you would fit right in," Alfred sounds amused by our entire conversation. Two teenagers raving about video games while dressed up like superheroes. That's normal, right?

"I'm glad too. I was a little nervous but it looks like I had no reason to be!"

Alfred nods and motions toward the changing rooms, "If you two go change I will have a plate of cookies for you in the kitchen."

Robin is gone a second later, vanishing into the changing room. I take off after him while Alfred chuckles and moves to the elevator.

I strip quickly, shivering slightly when the cool cave air touches my skin. I didn't even realize how well the uniform was regulating my temperature until it wasn't anymore. I wonder if I could convince Bruce to make me a blanket out of the same stuff. I could use it in the Cave when I'm doing my research and practicing my hacking. It's always freaking cold down here.

"Addi! Hurry up!" there's a constant thump against the door and I can picture Dick standing outside banging his fists against the door over and over again.

I laugh and slip into the pajamas Alfred must have brought down at some point to replace my usual civilian clothing. The cotton pants are warm and soft, easing some of the chill. The long-sleeve shirt chases away the last of the cold. I slip into the thick socks last, curling my toes into the soft fuzziness of the fabric. Alfred must be psychic or something, knowing I would want warm comfy clothes after the uniform.

Dick is waiting very impatiently outside the door when I come out, rocking back and forth on his feet. He's in pajamas too. Black cotton pants, blue t-shirt and black socks. His hair is ruffled mess, even more than usual, and his eyes are wide. He looks every bit the thirteen-year-old boy he is in that moment. Happy, rambunctious and just a bit mischievous.

"Come _on_ , Alfie's cookies are to _die_ for!" Dick grabs my hand and drags me to the elevator. One month ago, when I first came here, having him hold my hand would have made me blush like a fool and fall over myself in embarrassment. Now, though, after a month of training he's more a brother to me than anything. He's kicked my butt more times than I can count, we've bonded over our shared losses and at some point the crush I always had on him morphed into something deeper. It was different for me, having a boy who was so close to me. Even before, I never had male friends really. It was different, but nice.

We're stepping out of the elevator a few minutes later and I can already smell the cookies. My mouth waters as we wind through the manor to the kitchen, the smell growing strong and stronger. I have had Alfred's cookies _once_ since coming here. My first full day here Alfred made a batch and I ate four after dinner. My stomach hurt but it was worth it. I couldn't wait to have them again.

Alfred was waiting for us, a plate _piled_ with cookies sitting on the counter and two glasses of milk sitting beside it. Dick grabs the plate and one of the glasses, "Come on, we can watch another movie before bed. Batman won't be back for a while."

I grab my own glass and follow Dick out of the kitchen and into the massive TV room. It's practically a movie theater. A huge sofa with recliner seats and cup holders, surround sound speakers, no windows and a television that takes up almost an _entire_ wall. It was probably one of my favorite rooms in the entire manor. The library was _definitely_ at the top of my favorites followed by this room and then the parlor. I liked all the natural light in there whereas in this room, I enjoyed how dark and isolated it felt.

Dick flopped onto the couch, placing the plate of cookies on the coffee and table and switching on the television. He clicked through a few menus while he munched on a cookie, settling on some action movie I'd never even heard of. I was learning quickly there were a lot of movies here I'd never heard of before. Some of them were similar to movies I remembered seeing growing up but they had different names and obviously different people acting in them.

I settle onto the couch next to him, grabbing my own cookie and taking a bit. It's just as amazing as I remember from the first time and I have to hold back a small groan of happiness. I could probably eat these cookie every day for every meal and be satisfied with my life.

"I love Alfie's cookies," Dick murmurs around a mouth full of chocolate chip deliciousness.

I nod enthusiastically, "Me too."

We fall into silence after that, eating our cookies and watching the movie. It's one of the most peaceful nights I've had since my accident and I love it.

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

I must fall asleep at some point because the next time I'm aware of my surroundings, my head is resting on something warm and a blanket has been draped over me. I blink a few times into the inky darkness, panicking for a moment before I remember Dick and I were watching a movie in the manor last time I was awake so obviously everything is fine.

Whatever my head is resting on moves and that's about the time I realize it isn't a pillow, it's a person. I frown and sit up slightly, trying to see in the pitch black of the room. It's impossible, of course, I probably wouldn't even be able to see my hand in front of my face. My eyes are already growing heavy again too. Whoever it is, they must not mind me sleeping on them because I can hear soft snoring coming from them. With a sigh I settle back down and soon I'm fast asleep again.

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

Hours must pass this time because when I wake up again, there's light streaming into the room from the hallway. I yawn, rubbing at my eyes. There's a slight crick in my neck but I'm pretty sure that's the best I've slept in a _long_ time.

"Morning," Dick yawns and that's when I realize I was using _him_ as my pillow all night. My head was resting on his thigh which would explain why my neck is a little sore.

I sit up and move back to my own cushion, "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you like that."

He shrugs with a small smile, "I don't mind. I fell asleep pretty soon after you and you looked comfortable."

"Thank you," I pull the blanket around me a little tighter. The cold is always a little more noticeable in the morning, seeping in as my inner temperature readjusts.

He grins, "It's cool. Come on, I can smell breakfast and my stomach is rumbling,"

I laugh and follow him off the couch into the hallway. I can smell the food now too and my stomach growls loudly. Suddenly, I'm ravenous and can't get to the kitchen fast enough.

Bruce is already sitting at the table with a cup of steaming coffee, a newspaper and a plate with wheat toast and grapefruit on it. He puts the newspaper down as we walk in, "Good morning."

I yawn, waving lazily his direction as I move to the table, "Good morning, Bruce."

"Morning!" Dick is as chipper as usual, sliding into his seat and immediately grabbing some toast, eggs and bacon. Before I've even made it to my seat, he's shoving food into his mouth.

"Alfred says you two spent the night in the TV room," Bruce quirks an eyebrow as I slide into my own seat.

I grab my own toast and some eggs, "We fell asleep watching a movie after coming back from the Mountain."

Bruce nods, sipping at his coffee and glancing at Dick who is still shoveling food into his mouth without pausing, "Everything went well with the Team then?"

"Oh yeah! She _destroyed_ Wally when we played video games. Probably the most entertaining thing I've seen in a long time," Dick paused long enough in his eating to share the news before going back to his food.

Bruce looks over at me again and I think I see curiosity in his eyes now, "Sounds like you had fun then."

I laugh and take a bite of my toast with a nod, "Definitely."

"Good. I know they have a beach trip planned for the day. If Dick thinks it's a good idea you're welcome to join them. I think we can reduce your training to a more normal level. You will train when Dick does and if you want to train more you're welcome to but you don't need to spend entire days in the gym anymore."

I can't help the grin breaking out over my face, "Really?"

Bruce smiles slightly, "Yes, really. We'll get a patrol in at some point in the next few days and we can discuss making you a full member of the Team after that."

"Awesome!"

 **I hope ya'll enjoyed this! I tried to put more time between when she met them but I also have a timeline I'm trying to follow myself. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this chapter!**

 **I had one of my Guest reviewers point out it's nice to interact with people who review my stories. I agree, that's always been pretty cool to see in the past. I will try to address reviews where I can from here on out, hopefully I can meet ya'lls expectations!**

 ** _To the Guest reviewer who suggested this_** **: Let me start off by saying, thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review for me! I always love reading them! I do have the alerts turned on for my phone, it makes my heart happy every time I get a new message about a review! I agree with you, there have been quite a few wonderful (and helpful) reviews on this story so far! I try to take them all into account without changing my own ideas too much! I hope to hear from you again soon!**

 ** _To the Guest excited about the Robin/OC friendship:_** **I'm glad you like it! I liked the idea of having them as close friends after reading so many fics about them falling in love and ending up together. While originally, I did have that in mind as I was rereading some of my favorite stories (which are all wonderful, no matter what) I realized there weren't really any** ** _friendship_** **stories. I decided to change that! I'm so happy to hear you're excited about this story!**

 ** _Robyn_** **: Thank you so much! It was a few tweaks here and there but I feel like it really made a difference in the pacing of the story! I'm hoping it also helped me navigate around the cliché of putting the OC on the Team too soon. I hope you keep enjoying my story and I hope to hear from you again!**

 ** _To the Guest with the subplot idea:_** **I like that! I hadn't thought too much about that to be honest! I am definitely doing some research now though, seeing what I can alter ever so slightly. Poor Addi is going to hate me but I'm sure she'll forgive me eventually! Thank you so much for your input! I hope you continued to enjoy the story!**

 **I hope to hear from everyone again soon! Like I said, getting your reviews makes me smile and helps inspire me to write even more!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Mercy**


	8. Friendship

**A/N: Here we are again! Another new chapter for you lovely readers! I hope you enjoy it! There's a bit more jumping around in this chapter but I hope ya'll still enjoy reading it and will let me know what you think!**

 **I own nothing recognizable unfortunately.**

 **SEVEN: FRIENDSHIP**

The beach day is amazing. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun. We played volleyball, ate hot dogs, splashed around in the pool and built a freaking _awesome_ sand castle. I feel like a kid, running around in the sunshine and just soaking in the rare chance to throw all my worries away.

Unfortunately, the fun had to come to an end all too soon. Batman was calling us back to the Mountain and I knew we would be meeting Artemis. The thought of the blonde archer immediately had me excited all over again. Artemis was the sassy one on the Team. Robin had his own sass, don't get me wrong, but Artemis was a whole other breed. Her humor was dry and made me laugh every time. I hope we would get along, I could use a close _female_ friend. I loved Robin and Miss Martian was great but the friendships I had with them were different from what I was used to. I hoped with both of us coming into the Team without a real background in the hero business would help us bond a little easier.

When we get back to the Mountain everyone is quick to head to their respective quarters to change. I've been given my own quarters, right next to Robin's, and I already love them. Rock walls, cool earthy ground and another huge bed. They're simple and I feel at home. The manor has become home since I arrived here but sometimes I still feel out of place surrounded by such luxuries. I came from a middle class family, we lived paycheck to paycheck, I had a twin bed until I could afford to buy myself a different one so having a room like this, with nothing but a bed and a dresser was nostalgic.

I change into my civilian clothing, while I know the Team is about to get a mission I've been confined to the Mountain for now. No point wearing a uniform if I'm just going to be sitting around in the Mountain. At least Batman said I could listen to any missions the Team went on. I wouldn't be totally bored. I knew how the mission would go of course, but it would still be pretty cool to hear it all firsthand.

When I walk back into the main atrium most of the Team has already gathered. M'gann is floating happily as she talks with Superboy. Robin is typing madly on his wrist computer, looking completely absorbed in whatever he's doing. Aqualad isn't in the room yet. I walk over to Robin, peering over his shoulder curiously, "What are you doing?"

Robin smirks, "Trying to hack into Batman's files and see what the mission is for tonight."

I snicker, "And how's that working for you?"

He huffs out a breath, "Not as good as I thought it would."

"Dude, it's _Batman_. You really think he's going to make his files _easy_ to get into?"

"And why would you need to get into my files?" the deep voice makes me jump. Robin and I both whip around, Robin's hand hidden back his back. Batman looks far from amused at our antics, arms crossed and face stern under his cowl. Red Tornado stands just behind him, silent and watching. I haven't actually met him yet, but I already know I like him. If he's how I remember him from the show, he's pretty cool for an android.

Robin chuckles nervously, rubbing at the back of his head, "Um, no reason."

Batman lets out a deep hum and I can tell he already doesn't believe whatever excuses we come up with, "You'll learn about the mission at the same time the rest of the Team does."

Robin sighs and drops his hands to his side, "But that's so boring. One of these days, I'm going to be so good at hacking not even _you_ can keep me out."

At this, I'm pretty sure I see Batman's face twitch ever so slightly, "I don't doubt that. But until then, you'll need to be patient."

"So not feeling the aster," Robin grumbles, clicking off his wrist computer and looking every bit a disgruntled teenager.

 _Recognized. Green Arrow. 08._

 _Recognized. Artemis. B08._

All heads turn as the Zeta tube lights up. Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) steps into the open with a smirk and more green than I thought possible for one outfit. Right behind him is Artemis. Long blonde hair pulled into a low ponytail, green mask, green mid-drift baring top, and green pants with boots. Strapped to her back is a quiver of arrows and I know there's a compound bow folded up in there as well.

She looks almost defensive as she takes all of us in. At some point Aqualad has joined us as well, standing on Robin's other side with his arms cross over his chest. I can't blame Artemis for being a little hesitant. There's five of us who already know one another _plus_ her dad is a criminal. Granted, no one else here knows that yet, I still can't blame her for being a little uncertain about her place.

"Team, this is Artemis. She's Green Arrow's niece and she'll be joining the Team from today onwards," Batman announces to the stunned faces around him.

"Hi! I'm Sparrow, part-time Team member. Just met everyone yesterday," I step forward almost immediately, holding out a hand toward the blonde archer.

She takes it, quirking an eyebrow, "Part time?"

I shrug with a smile, "I'm still technically 'in training' until Batman says so. Which _hopefully_ won't be much longer."

Robin cackles as I aim the last part toward Batman himself. He doesn't even blink and I huff out a breath. Artemis chuckles, "Thanks for the welcome, part-timer."

 _Recognized. Kid Flash. B03._

"The Wall-Man is here! Now let's get this party star-" there's a lot of stumbling and falling and then Wally is face-planting in the middle of the room, his beach ball bouncing away, "ted?"

I resist the urge to giggle, knowing he's probably already _extremely_ embarrassed. I mean, he just made a fool of himself in front of not only _us_ , but three members of the Justice League and a complete stranger. Talk about mortifying.

"Wall-Man, huh? I love the uniform. What exactly are your powers?" and there's the Artemis sass I remember.

"Uh, who's this?" Wally almost sounds offended, staring at Artemis with a confused look. The white nose kind of throws off his attempt at being disgusted though. I bite back another giggle.

"Artemis, your new teammate."

"Kid Flash. Never heard of you."

"Um, she's my new protégé," and there's Green Arrow trying to find some way to smooth things over without too many questions. Can't have anyone knowing Aretmis' dad is Sportsmaster after all. I roll my eyes, I really don't get it. Yes, it's not great her dad is evil but she obviously isn't. Batman would never let her within one hundred yards of the Team if she was. But I keep quiet, let the adults do their "protecting" thing.

"What happened to your old one?" Kid Flash is looking thoroughly confused now.

My eyes immediately drift to the zeta tubes. _3..2…1…_

 _Recognized. Speedy. B06._

"Well, for starters, he doesn't go by _Speedy_ anymore. Call me Red Arrow," and there stands Roy Harper decked out in his new gear. I fight the urge to point out he's a traitor and shouldn't be trusted. He does do a lot of good before that final battle but he also helps turn the heavy hitters in the League into criminals on another planet…

Green Arrow looks taken aback by Red Arrow's sudden appearance in the mountain, "Roy, you look-"

"Replaceable," I wince at the word. Green Arrow would never replace Red Arrow. Artemis needed an "in" though and she was an archer with a fondness for green. Kind of made sense he was her mentor.

"It's not like that. You told me you were going solo."

"So why waste time finding a sub?" the hurt is there, in Red Arrow's voice. He acts all tough and like he couldn't care less about his current situation but it's so obvious to anyone _actually_ looking how much it hurts to see his mentor teaching another, "Can she even _use_ that bow?"

"Yes, she can," Artemis isn't one to back down, that much is obvious as she steps up toe to toe with Red Arrow. Her face is set and her eyes are narrowed, not letting Red Arrow intimidate her.

"Who _are_ you?" Wally apparently can't believe anyone would stand up to Red Arrow when he's upset. I honestly can't imagine Artemis doing anything else though. Besides, Red Arrow needed someone to push back. He's kind of a jerk at this point.

"I'm his niece."

"She's my niece."

Yeah, because saying things in perfect unison is _never_ suspicious. I sigh and shake my head, already done with this whole conversation. I know why Red Arrow is here and it would be _great_ if we could just get to the point already.

"Another niece?" Robin sounds like he doesn't believe it for a second. I smirk slightly from next to him, he _is_ the Bat's kid after all. He's no fool.

"But she is not your replacement. We have always wanted you on the Team, and we have no quote on archers," Aqualad, always the mediator. If only he knew how often he would be meditating for Kid Flash and Artemis in the future. He'd probably step down now.

"And if we did, you know who we'd pick," Wally is sounding more like a petulant child the longer this conversation continues. I glance over at him and see the slight anger on his face. Oh good Lord, he actually thinks Artemis will try to replace Red Arrow.

"Whatever, Baywatch. I'm here to stay," Artemis cocks a hip and dares Wally to argue with her more.

I huff out in annoyance, "Oh my goodness, can we just figure out _why_ he's here in the first place?"

Everyone turns to me and I feel my cheeks heat up. Did I just say that out loud?

"Who's she supposed to be? A female Robin?" Red Arrow narrows his eyes at me, "Thought you Bats didn't like outsiders in your city."

"She's not an outsider. She's just new to the superhero side of our lives," Robin says, coming to stand beside me, "This is Sparrow."

Red Arrow stares at me a moment longer, as if deciding whether or not he can trust any of us suddenly before huffing out in annoyance, "I came here because of Dr. Serling Roquette."

Robin perks up next to me, immediately going to his wrist computer, "Nanobiotics genius and claytronics expert at Royal University in Star City – vanished two weeks ago."

Screens appear all around us, one displaying a full body image of the doctor herself along with multiple articles and diagrams about her work.

"Abducted two weeks ago but the League of Shadows," Red Arrow interrupts, his hero face back in place.

Everyone seems to be focused on the mission at hand suddenly and I'm grateful. I was really sick of all the childish bickering.

"Whoa," Robin sounds completely taken aback, "You want us to rescue her from the Shadows?"

"Hard-core," Wally and Robin do a little fist bump thing and I smirk. Too bad their bubble is about to be burst.

"I already rescued her," _Pop_. I can practically hear their excitement deflating, "only one problem. The Shadows had already coerced her into creating a weapon."

Images of little bug-type things appear now and I recognize them as the Nano bytes capable of taking down entire buildings, "Doc calls it the fog, comprised of millions of microscopic robots, nanotech infiltrators capable of disintegrating anything in their path – concrete, steel, flesh, bone. But it's true purpose isn't mere destruction, it's theft. The infiltrators eat and store raw data from any computer system and deliver the stolen intel to the Shadows providing them access to weapons, strategic defense, cutting-edge science and tech."

"Perfect for extortion, manipulation, power broking. Yeah. Sounds like the Shadows," none of the others know just how informed Artemis is when it comes to things the Shadows do. I feel a little twinge of sympathy for her. That's her family, the people destroying other's lives right now.

"Like you know anything about the Shadows," there's the petulant voice again.

I whack Wally upside the head, "Shut up. You just met her, you have no idea what she knows."

Wally narrows his eyes and rubs the back of his head. Artemis just gives a secretive little shadow and a wink making him throw his hands out, "Who are you?!"

"Roquette's working on a virus to render the fog inert," I have to applaud Red Arrow for his ability to pretend Wally didn't just have a childish outburst in the middle of his speech. Maybe being around him for so long helps make you immune. Or maybe he just doesn't care and is ignoring it completely.

"But if the Shadows know she can do that…" Robin's mind has also managed to somehow stay on track beside his best friend and I can almost hear the gears turning in his brain.

"They'll target her," Red Arrow finishes for him, "Right now, she's off the grid. I stashed her at the local high school's computer lab."

"You left her alone?" Green Arrow, always with the bad timing.

"She's safe enough for now."

"Then let's you and I keep her that way," I really can't blame Green Arrow for trying to rebuild the bridges with Red Arrow but I'm pretty sure everyone can tell it's still too early for that.

"You and I? Don't you wanna take your new protégé?"

If Batman didn't stop him, I'm sure Green Arrow would have started yet another quarrel right in the middle of the Mountain with Red Arrow. Thankfully, he seems about as done with this as I am. One look and Green Arrow is backing down slightly, "You brought this to the Team. It's their mission, which means it's hers now, too."

Red Arrow lets out a soft scoff, "Then my job's done."

 _Recognized. Speedy –_

"That's _Red Arrow_ , B06. Update,," and then Red Arrow is gone.

Artemis and Kid Flash shoot each other glares and I sigh, stepping forward, "So I take it I'm sitting this one out, right?"

Batman nods, "Yes. You can listen in on everything from here and if the Team should need backup, you can call for us. You _are not_ to interfere in _any_ way. Understood?"

I catch the hidden meaning in his words and I'm sure Robin does too, "Understood."

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

The mission plays out pretty much how I remember it. Wally didn't almost drown so he was there to help from the beginning and after the first assault Cheshire didn't show up again. They two things weren't huge but they also shouldn't have changed in the first place. I wasn't involved _at all_ but somehow the time line was already in flux. Batman was _not_ going to like this.

The mission goes about as I expected. There's a few differences I wasn't expecting though: Kid Flash doesn't nearly drown, Artemis never fights Cheshire and the Wayne Enterprises attack is stopped before it can really begin. Was the timeline changing? Adjusting now that I was here? I wondered if I should tell Batman before dismissing the idea. Any number of things could have affected the mission and caused it to turn out differently. I would just have to keep an eye on things, if anything changed _drastically_ I would tell Batman about my worries. For now though, I was going to keep it to myself. No reason to freak out over it yet. So I ignore it.

The Team comes back from the mission, all in high spirits after their success. Artemis and Kid Flash are being civil toward one another by the end of the mission, M'gann is excited to have another girl on the Team now and I'm finding I'm pretty excited too. I love M'gann but Artemis doesn't view the world through rose-colored glasses. M'gann knows tragedy, she's been through a war, but that was all on Mars. She has this picture of Earth in her mind, painting it as some perfect place where we all get along. Artemis knows the bad but chooses to try and find the good. It's admirable.

"Sparrow, you missed out on one pretty crazy mission!" Wally is beaming as he flies back into the room. Everyone (except Artemis, who booked it once they all returned) is currently changing into their civvies and of _course_ Wally is done first. He zips into the kitchen and reappears with a plate of cookies and two bags of chips.

"I heard a little bit of it over the comms and Robin gave me a short debrief when you were heading back. Sounds like everything went smoothly," I follow him into the living room and flop on the couch. He sits next to me and I sneak a cookie off the plate before he can scarf them all down.

"Pretty smooth. I mean, there were a few assassins and Star Labs went down but we stopped the Wayne Enterprises attack so that's a major bonus," Wally's mouth is shoved full of cookies and chips right after he finishes talking, the food quickly disappearing only to be replaced by more.

I know he's a speedster and he has to eat a lot but I have never seen anyone eat the way he does, "You got to go toe to toe with some assassins, that's pretty cool."

Wally shrugs, "It was interesting. Kaldur is apparently mostly immune to jellyfish poison, which is really cool."

"That's gotta come in handy."

"It did tonight," Kaldur's voice echoes slightly around the room as he steps into the living room of the Mountain.

Wally jumps near out of his seat and I giggle. I forget the rest of the Team isn't used to Batman-level stealth, "Well, I'm glad you're all okay."

Kaldur gives me a small smile and settles into one of the arm chairs, "The Team worked well tonight, including Artemis. She will make a good addition. Batman says you will be joining us full time at some point as well?"

I nod, "He wants to have me patrol with him in Gotham first, make sure I actually know what I'm doing, before putting me on missions with everyone."

"That is very wise. Although, if you have been trained by both Robin and Batman I do not doubt your abilities," Kaldur says with a smile.

I chuckle, "Well, they can both still kick my butt most of the time but I _am_ beating Robin more often now."

Wally grins wickedly, "I bet he _hates_ that."

I laugh, "He isn't overly fond of it but I think he takes it pretty well."

M'gann and Superboy come into the room next and settle on the other couch in the room, sitting much closer than is probably needed. I smile slightly, looks like that relationship is already starting. No surprise there. Robin is last to rejoin us, flipping over the back of the couch and landing on the cushion to my other side. He folds his hands behind his head, "So, should we watch Sparrow kick Wally's butt in video games again? That's always entertaining."

Wally lets out a disgusted sound, "She does not kick my butt! She beats me sometimes but I win too!"

"Shall we test that theory?" I wink and grab one of the remotes, tossing him the other, "Or are you chicken?"

"Oh, _bring it_!"

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

Hours later, Robin and I wander to the zeta tubes and head back to the Cave. Bruce is nowhere to be found and his uniform is still missing so he must be on patrol still. Alfred isn't in the Cave but he finds us quickly once we're back in the manor. We're both exhausted, feet dragging and eyes drooping, so we forgo any movie watching and head straight for our bedrooms. Alfred looks slightly amused, following us to make sure we actually manage to get to our bedrooms before we collapse. I don't think I've ever been this tired before, and I didn't even go on the mission. The first rays of dawn are starting to spread through my bedroom as I finally slip off to sleep that night. I don't think I've ever been awake this late before. Or is it early? I don't even know.

When I wake up, the sun is high in the sky and my room is almost blindingly bright. I wince and turn my back on the window. Definitely should have shut the curtains before going to sleep. I know I should probably get out of bed or rick completely destroying my sleeping pattern but at the same time, I'm still exhausted. My eyes feel scratchy and my head is heavy and I just want to _sleep_.

"Addi? You awake yet?" there's a knock at the door followed by Dick's voice. He sounds about as tired as I feel and I sigh. If he's already awake I probably should get up. After all, he's the one who went on a mission last night, not me.

"Come in," I call out groggily.

The door opens a second later and I hear a small chuckle before footsteps approach my bed and another body joins me on the mattress. Dick flops onto the spare pillow and huffs out a small breath, "I'm exhausted."

I turn on my side to face him, "Me too. Which makes no sense, I didn't even go on the mission."

"You also haven't ever stayed up that late before I'm guessing," Dick says with a smirk, "You'll get used to it."

"What time is it anyway?"

"Almost ten. You've been asleep for about four hours."

I groan and roll back over now, "Why am I even awake?"

He chuckles and I can hear him yawn, "You're not used to sleep during the day. I have the same problem. Bruce too. We might stay up all night but we also live entire lives during the day. Welcome to the land of no sleep. You're going to become a permanent resident."

I huff and shove my face into my pillow. We just lay there for a little while, neither one of us saying anything, and I'm pretty sure I doze again briefly. When I roll back over Dick has his eyes closed and he's breathing evenly. Passed out. I let my own eyes fall back closed with a small smile, thankful to have small moments of peace like this. I know once I start actually patrolling Gotham and going on missions with the Team and have school these little moments will become rare. I plan to enjoy them while I can.

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

Alfred drags us out of bed about an hour later, saying something about school supplies and uniforms. Gotham Academy goes back to school in five days. I completely forgot Alfred wanted to go supply shopping this week and stop at the school to get my uniform and class schedule. Dick already has everything he needs but Alfred is bringing him along as well to "keep him out of trouble".

Which is why, thirty minutes after Alfred dragged us out of bed, Dick and I are standing in the middle of a huge department store with a cart full of school items. People stare pretty much the whole time, easily recognizing Dick and no doubt recognizing me as well now. Bruce went public about taking me in a little over two weeks ago. There was a flurry of coverage, people vying to get interviews and pictures. It was maddening. Dick seemed completely unruffled though, playing on his phone and cracking jokes and butchering the English language constantly. It helps distract me at least which I'm pretty sure is the point.

At one point though, I can't ignore a particularly annoying onlooker. I've seen him about four times now since we arrived, each time he has his phone up and pointing in our direction. He pretends he's not doing anything every time I look at him but the moment I look away that phone is back up again. I nudge Dick in the ribs when I see him again, "That one's been following us since we got here."

Dick turns, pretending to look at something on a nearby shelf while subtly shooting a look at the man. Our stalker is wearing a shaggy looking plaid shirt and grungy jeans. He has a baseball cap on with stringy brown hair poking out of the bottom and a scruffy beard. Sunglasses are perched on the brim of the hat. Overall, he looks like either a bum or a reporter trying to hide in plain sight. Dick frowns, "If he's a reporter, he isn't one of the usual ones. I've learned what all of their disguises look like. That's not one of them. How many times have you seen him now?"

I shrug and feign nonchalance, "Like four times? Maybe more?"

Dick frowns now and turns to Alfred, "How much more do we need to get?"

Alfred looks down at the small list in his hand, "We only need a few more small items and then we can leave. Is there something wrong, Master Richard?"

Dick shrugs and hikes a thumb in the direction of the man, "We've got a follower. Just don't like having people follow me."

Alfred glances toward the bedraggled looking man and frowns, "I do not like it, either. Wait here."

And then Alfred is marching straight for the man, shoulders back and head up. He exchanges a few words with the man, all of them rather stern, and by the time he's done the man is handing his phone over and hurrying out of the store.

Dick is cackling softly, obviously not surprised at all by Alfred's ability to literally talk someone into handing over a phone and leaving. Me, on the other hand, I'm pretty sure Alfred is his own form of superhero.

"Shall we finish our shopping?"

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

Alfred drags us around a few more stores and then up to Gotham Academy. By the time we finish with everything it's late afternoon and I'm starving. We make it back to the manor and Alfred tells us to go put everything away while he starts on dinner. So Dick and I are trudging up the stairs, loaded down with bags, when Bruce finds us. He's still wearing the button-up he had on for work but the jacket and tie are missing now and his feet are covered in only socks. It's probably the most relaxed I've seen him after a day at Wayne Enterprises.

"I see Alfred finally took you shopping for school supplies and picked up your uniforms. He's been wanting to do that for almost two weeks now," Bruce takes a few bags from me and a few from Dick, making it a little more manageable on both of us.

"Yeah, I guess he figured it couldn't wait any longer. School does start on Monday," I shrug, following Bruce down the hall to my room.

We dump all of our bags on the bed and Bruce turns to me, a serious look on his face, "Tonight you're coming with us on patrol."

"Seriously?!" my voice has jumped about ten octaves and I'm resisting the urge to bounce. This is probably the best news I've had all week. Going on patrol and proving myself means I get to go on missions with the Team. I'm one step closer!

Bruce nods, "Yes. Make sure you get some training in before we leave, Dick needs to as well so you can train together."

We both nod. Bruce heads out of the room, saying he has a few more things to do for work, while Dick and I turn our attention to the bags on the bed. I sigh, hands on my hips, "Well, might as well go through everything now. At least then it's done."

Dick nods, already grabbing one of the bags and dumping its content. Pencils, pens, highlighters and mini post-its scatter over the mattress, "You think you have enough?"

I swat his shoulder, "I like to be organized in school. It's how I was able to maintain all A's in school. Not all of us can be gifted like you, okay? I had to work at the school stuff."

"Well, now you have a live-in tutor. Technically, you have three. Alfred and Bruce are wicked smart too. Helped me with some of the harder aspects of the security programming for the League," Dick is absently sorting out the pens and highlighters by color and lining them up on the desk.

I laugh, "While you were struggling with programming the most powerful security system ever, I was sweating over basic algebra and physics. I was always better at English and history. They were my favorites."

Dick makes a gagging sound, "I hate both of those. I actually have to study for them."

I roll my eyes, emptying another bag full of organizers and a pen cup, "God forbid you have to crack a book to be good at something."

Dick grabs the pen cup and places it on the desk, dropping all the highlighters, pens and pencils inside, "Hey, I'm not used to studying. I can usually catch onto things pretty fast. But I have you around now, so you can help explain the less asterous parts of the English language to me."

"Well, for one, you're butchering it," I laugh, dumping out the bag of binders and notebooks, "And two, I doubt you need my help. You understand it enough to mess with it and yet still somehow make sense."

He grins cheekily, "Yeah, I guess I'm pretty good."

We fall into silence for a little while after that. Slowly but surely my desk comes together though. Binders arranged in a neat row on a shelf with the notebooks stacked next to them. A pen cup filled with writing utensils pushed back just enough for the laptop Alfred insisted I needed to fit on the main area of the desk. There's also a new printer, tons of paper and plenty of smaller post-it pads for all my side notes. My textbooks are lined up on the shelf above the binders along with spare notebooks and couple of extra binders in case I need them for projects. The drawers on the desk are filled with extra supplies, an "overstock" as Alfred called it. My uniforms are hanging neatly in the closet, my school bag is packed with daily supplies I'll need and resting against the desk and my bed is cleared away.

I brush off my hands, completely satisfied with the work we've done, "I am definitely ready to start school now. I'm pretty sure I have enough supplies to last me until I graduate."

"You'd be surprised how quickly they run out. But Alfred is really good about noticing those things. He'll replace whatever you're running low on before you even notice you need more. He's like a school supply ninja," Dick is leaning against the dresser, looking just as satisfied as me.

"Speaking of Alfred, you think dinner will be done soon?"

Dick laughs, "Yes. Don't worry, before you know it we'll be running along Gotham rooftops."

I blush slightly, "That obvious, huh?"

"Yeah, but I was the same way before my first patrol too. Except I was bothering Bruce every five minutes and he's not as patient."

"No, I would imagine not."

"Come on, we can go see if Alfie needs help with anything to keep you distracted."

 **I hope ya'll enjoyed this chapter! I know it jumped around a bit more than usual but I just had a few key things I wanted to hit on before heading into the first Gotham patrol. Plus, I liked a lot of these little scenes to show the growing friendship between Addi and Dick!**

 **Now for the part where I get to respond to your lovely reviews!**

 ** _Bnemesis_** **: I never can either! I'm definitely the type to force myself to stay awake if I've decided to watch a movie! Yes, I love drive-ins! I wish there were more though! The closest one to me is almost three hours away so I haven't been in a** ** _long_** **time unfortunately! Thank you so much for leaving a review, I hope to hear from you again!**

 ** _Ambiguous Cake:_** **I think catching up is one of my** ** _least_** **favorite parts of reading a story because then there's just no more and if it's really, I'm not ready for that! I'm really glad to hear that! I don't want Addi to be a Mary Sue, I'm trying hard to avoid that while also keeping the story moving along a bit. I do plan to touch on that a bit more in the future. I tried to hint at it a bit when she first started training (her body somehow knew how to react) but I'll have more for you later! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a review, and I am** ** _so_** **happy to hear you're enjoying the story! I hope to hear from you again!**

 ** _Robyn_** **: It's good to hear from you again and I am** ** _so happy_** **you're still enjoying the story! I'm really excited to bring them all together finally! I plan to try and have her form a unique friendship with each of them as the story goes on. After all, she's knows them very well already even if they don't know her yet! I hope to hear from you again!**

 **I can't wait to get your feedback on this latest chapter and I hope to have the next one up fairly soon! Thanks for reading!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Mercy**


	9. Patrol

**Okay guys, first things first, I AM SO SORRY. I didn't mean for this update to take so long, I've actually had most of this written for about a month now but work went crazy (I'm training people now) and I just didn't have the time or energy to keep writing until recently. I hope to keep updating semi-regularly again now that things have somewhat calmed down at work.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.**

 **EIGHT: PATROL**

It turns out, Alfred has plenty for us to help out with. Whether it's because he knows Dick is trying to distract me or he really needs the help, I don't care. It helps keep my mind off the upcoming patrol and how _long_ I still have to wait before nightfall. Bruce walks through the foyer at some point in the middle of our cleaning and just shakes his head when he finds us on the chandelier. In our defense, we _were_ dusting. Did we need to actually be _on_ the chandelier to do it? Who knows?

"Master Richard! You know I have expressly forbidden you from climbing on the chandelier," Alfred's stern voice makes me jump slightly as he stops directly below us. I didn't even notice him.

Dick shoots Alfred a sheepish grin, "We wanted to make sure it was really clean Alfie."

"You could have done that just as easily with the long duster without climbing onto the chandelier itself. Now come down from there, dinner is about to be ready and you both need to get cleaned up," Alfred's voice is crisp and I shiver. He's almost as scary as Batman when he's like this.

Dick and I are quick to swing from the chandelier and back onto the upper landing of the manor. Only when our feet are firmly on the ground, does Alfred walk away. Dick snickers, "He really hates when I do that. Says I'm going to fall and break something one of these days."

"I think he has a somewhat valid concern. Of course, you're pretty good at falling," I bump his shoulder with a wide grin, "You still need to teach me to correct my falls."

"You'll get the hang of it eventually. I can't really teach it the way I taught you how to fly. Falling takes practice and usually a net."

"Then we should get a net."

"I have one, I just don't use it. We can pull it out during our next training session and practice."

We're at my door now and Dick moves past me to his own room. I didn't realize how dirty I was until I take a shower and the water changes color. Ew. I scrub and scrub until the water runs clear again, knowing I'll probably be taking another shower when we get back from patrol but oh well. I'm pretty sure Alfred would make me come right back upstairs if I didn't get cleaned up to his standards.

I change quickly and step back into the hallway just as Dick is stepping out as well. His hair is dripping and he's in a fresh set of clothes. He walks over to me, rubbing at his stomach, "Man, I'm _starving_."

I nod enthusiastically as my stomach rumbles, "Me too."

Dick laughs, "Alfred probably made something really good too, since it's your first patrol."

"Everything Alfred makes is really good."

"That's true. But it's usually _extra_ good for special occasions."

Bruce is waiting at the bottom of the stairs when we come down. He's doing something on his phone and while it doesn't seem like he's noticed us, we both know better. He probably knew we were heading his way before we even made it to the stairs. Sometimes his bat senses are absolutely terrifying. I wonder if I will _ever_ be at that level. Probably not.

"I was beginning to think I would have to come get you both. Alfred is setting out the food now," Bruce slides the phone into his pocket and pushes off the banister.

"I was a lot dirtier than I thought," Dick says, raking a hand through his wet hair when his bangs fall in his face, "Apparently, dust clings to you."

I snort, "Very much so."

Bruce shakes his head with a small smile, "If you didn't climb into the chandelier you wouldn't have been covered in dust in the first place."

"Yeah, but cleaning the chandelier the normal way is so boring," Dick whines, throwing his hands in the air, "Why make it so easy to jump on and then not take advantage?"

"I don't think an acrobat child was taken into account when this place was first built," Bruce chuckles.

"That's not my fault," Dick says with a small shrug and a wide smirk.

Bruce smirks in amusement and shakes his head, "Just remember Alfred has free reign to punish you as necessary. Do you remember the amount of chores he gave you last time you were on the chandelier?"

Dick scowls, "Too many."

"Exactly."

I laugh softly at the stricken look on Dick's face. I can only imagine the amount of chores Alfred piled on Dick. While life in the manor is pretty easy, Alfred still likes to make sure we know how to fend for ourselves every now and then. As he says, he won't be around forever.

Alfred is waiting for us in the dining room when we walk in, setting out the last dish of food. My mouth waters as I take in the _feast_ he's set out for us. Ribs smothered in his special sauce (I really need that recipe), mashed potatoes, a mountain of rolls, salad, what looks like a fruit salad and vegetables. I don't know how he expects me to be able to go on a patrol after eating all of this but I'm also not about to complain. I adore Alfred's cooking.

We all settle in at the table and Dick is quick to pile his plate high with food and dig in. Bruce is a little slower and doesn't grab quite as much food as Dick but he's still already eating by the time I've grabbed a little food for myself. I figure I should probably keep it a little lighter since I'll be flinging myself over rooftops for the first time ever tonight. I take some ribs, a tiny bit of mashed potatoes, one roll and a helping of salad and vegetables. Alfred catches my eye at one point and nods approvingly.

"Are you nervous, Addilyn?" Bruce asks after a few moments of silence.

I swallow the food in my mouth and shrug, "I mean, a little bit. It is my first patrol, after all. But I know you've both got my back so I'll be fine."

Bruce nods, "I wouldn't be letting you come along if I didn't think you were ready, just remember that."

I nod, "Thanks, Bruce."

He doesn't say anything, just goes back to eating. I turn back to my own food as well, grateful for the small encouragement. For Bruce, its like singing praises so I'll take it.

 **YJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJYJ**

Two hours later, well after the sun has set, we're all gathered in the Cave. Robin and I just finished getting a few sparring sessions in for the night before Bruce called for us to get ready to head out. I'm bouncing on the balls of my feet, adrenaline and nerves making me feel antsy, as Batman types at the Batcomputer. He's fully dressed in his uniform minus the cowl which is currently pushed off his face as he frowns at the screen.

Robin is looking just as antsy as me, rocking back and forth on his heels and grinning. He and I are both fully dressed, masks and all, and ready to hit the streets. Alfred is currently checking the stock of the medical rooms, which is both comforting and a little terrifying. Robin told me he does it every time they head out for patrol, a ritual of sorts, and not to worry. I still can't help feeling a small pit form in my stomach. It's supposed to be a routine patrol but this _is_ Gotham so there's no telling what's going to happen tonight.

"We'll do a basic route. I haven't received news of any deals happening tonight so it should be a fairly easy patrol. You two are to remain with one another no matter what tonight. _If_ something happens and I get separated from you, return to the Cave _together_ and wait for me," he turns and focuses completely on me now, "You will listen to everything I say, no questions asked. If I say go, you _go_. If I say jump, you _jump_. Do you understand?"

I nod, straightening up, "Yes, sir."

"Good, let's move out," he pulls the cowl over his face and heads for the Batmobile.

I haven't had as many chances as I would have liked to really enjoy the Batmobile since coming here. I got to see the inside a couple of times and Bruce let me help him when he worked on her but I've never actually gone for a ride. I'm extremely excited to say the least.

Robin hops in the front seat and I climb in the back, leaning forward and admiring all the gadgets and buttons. Batman slides into the driver's seat and starts the engine. The entire vehicle vibrates and rumbles with the power. I shiver and grin as I lean back and strap myself in. Oh, I am _so_ going to enjoy this. I've always had a love for fast and powerful vehicles and the Batmobile is the fastest and most powerful I have ever been in.

We shoot out of the Cave, winding through the underground tunnels of the cave before coming out into a clear Gotham night. There's no clouds and I can actually see stars this far from the city. I know the moment we get closer to Gotham those stars will vanish and the night won't seem as peaceful. But for now, I'm completely content to watch the world race by out my window.

Batman maneuvers the Batmobile with the ease of practice. Too many long nights on the streets of Gotham to count under his belt. He probably knows this city better than anyone else and he knows how to maneuver through her streets as well as his own home. It's amazing, really, watching as we shift from side to side, barreling around curves and corners, and somehow not hitting anything. Robin is completely relaxed in his seat, typing away on his wrist computer and never doubting Batman's ability to keep us safe. I sit back in my seat as well once we are in the city, trading the open landscapes for tall skyscrapers and rundown apartment buildings.

We drive for another few minutes before Batman turns down a dark alley and stops, killing the lights and engine. Robin is out of the car a moment later, bouncing on the balls of his feet and looking more than ready for whatever the night holds. Batman is out of the car shortly after him and I follow him into the dark alley. The air is cool on my face and smells of trash and mildew. I wrinkle my nose, this isn't a part of Gotham I've been to yet. Wards of Bruce Wayne don't usually wander into the Narrows.

"Don't worry, the smell isn't as bad on the rooftops. Plus, you get used to it after a while," Robin is right next to me suddenly, talking in a low voice.

I nod and try to ignore the way my nose hairs seem to be burning from the odors around me, "Thanks."

"Let's go," Batman's voice is gruff as he aims his grappling gun toward the roof of the nearest building. Robin and I raise our own in unison and fire off a line.

I've practiced with all of the gadgets Batman expects me to use in the field but the feeling of my stomach falling out as I shoot through the air never gets old. It makes me giddy, flying up through the air like this without anything but a cord keeping me from falling. Sometimes, I wonder if this is how it feels for Robin every time he vaults across the city. Tonight, I finally get to find out.

Batman is on the other end of the roof already when we land, bent over a ledge and looking out over the city. Robin and I join him and for the first time I take in the city from above, as a hero, and it's amazing. I hear horns honking, music blaring, sirens going off. There's flashing police lights flying across the streets below us, glass shattering somewhere to the west, a person screaming to the east and more sounds than I can count everywhere else. How does Batman even know where to _start_?

"Here," Robin reaches over and taps twice on the comm in my ear. Suddenly there's a constant flow of chatter. A burglary, a traffic stop, a suspicious person, a theft…

"What did you do?" I murmur, trying to understand everything being said.

"Turned on the police radio. Two taps on the comm will link you in. Batman programmed it ages ago. It helps us know what's happening in the city. If you want to turn it off just double tap again. If we talk to you it'll override the scanner though so don't worry about that," Robin explains, double tapping on his own comm.

"That's awesome," I tune back into the radio chatter now, completely enthralled with it. Some of the codes they're using are foreign to me and I have the urge to learn them all. I want to know about everything happening.

 _All units, be advised signal forty-three in progress at Corner Jeweler. Suspects armed and dangerous._

"Let's move," Batman launches off the roof and soars toward the eastern end of town.

Robin cackles and takes off across the roofs after him. I don't know what a forty-three is but I assume it can't be good if people are armed and dangerous. I'm right on Robin's heels as he jumps from the roof to another. For a split second, there's nothing but street three stories below me and my heart hammers wildly in my chest. I can't hold back a giddy little giggle as I fly across the space between the two buildings and suddenly that cackle Robin does makes perfect sense. This feels like freedom and I want more of it. We launch over at least six more buildings and my heart is hammering in my chest, adrenaline singing through my veins. God, I could probably do this all night.

By the time we come to a stop I'm feeling more alive than I ever have before. Robin is grinning and he looks just as excited as me. Batman is at the corner of the building, looking down at the street below. We both approach and crouch next to him and that's when the sound of an alarm reaches my ears. The radio traffic in my head is still going strong and I double tap the comm to turn it off for a moment. The alarm is coming from a small jewelry store on the corner and I recognize the name of it from the original transmission. The front window has been shattered and I can see people moving around frantically inside and I'm pretty sure I catch the glint of a gun in a few of their hands. Signal forty-three: robbery.

"Switch to thermal," Batman's gruff voice is barely audible over the wind howling down the street.

I tap my mask and the world turns to shades of blue and orange. I can see eight people moving around the store, each one armed with a weapon, along with three people in a back room cowering on the floor. Hostages. This should be an interesting first take down for me. Handling bad guys with guns was of course part of my training but I've never done it for _real_ before. I'm nervous but excited.

"You two will take the back entrance. Get to the hostages while I distract the ones in the store. Get them outside and to safety before you do anything else," Batman's voice carries easily over the comms and I see Robin nodding along with the plan. I imagine this is a pretty standard situation for them and they could probably do it _without_ talking beforehand. It must be for my benefit.

Robin and I take off from our positions, heading two buildings over before crossing the street and dropping into the alley behind the jewelry store. It's dark and it smells like garbage but it's also empty which is perfect. The back entrance to the store is directly in front of us, slightly ajar, and I can't believe our luck. These must not be very good robbers. Or they thought they could get away before we showed up. Either way, _not smart_.

Robin approaches the door on silent feet, gripping the edge and peering inside carefully. He must like what he sees because he grins and opens the door just wide enough to slip inside. I follow close behind him, working to remain as quiet as he is and thanking my training for being able to.

The hallway we step into is dim and empty. Farther down I can hear glass shattering and low chattering but back here there's no sound at all. Robin and I creep along, staying deep in the shadows until we reach the door leading to the hostages. I switch my mask back to thermal and peer inside. Three hostages still accounted for but they have a visitor now. A visitor with a very big gun. I curse inwardly. We won't be able to go in through the door now.

Robin pauses and looks around before pointing up. I glance in the direction of his finger and grin. The air vents. He points to himself and then the vent again before pointing to me and then the door. I nod in understanding and move beneath the vent, lacing my hands together to give him a boost. He sets one foot into my hands and I lift him up. A few seconds and two screw removals later the vent is hanging open. Robin pushes off my foot and disappears inside.

I move back to the wall and the shadows now, watching for any incoming enemies while also listening for a disturbance inside the room. Three minutes pass and nothing happens. Then I hear shouting from the front of the store followed by gunfire and shattering glass. The door swings open and Robin steps out, ushering the three hostages out as well. I lead the way to the back, worried one of the doors is going to open and reveal another robber who managed to slip away. Thankfully, we make it to the door without any issues and get the hostages across the street and tucked into another ally.

"Come on!" Robin takes off back toward the store now and I follow quickly after. I can still hear gunshots and shouting from inside which means we just may get to knock some heads together.

We go in through the back door again, not as worried about keeping silent, and rush toward the front. When we pass the room the hostages were held in I catch sight of a larger man unconscious on the floor with his hands cuffed behind his back. I smirk, that man is easily three times Robin's size but he took him down without a problem. Just one of his many skills I'm totally envious of.

When we make it to the front of the store Batman is engaged in a fight with two of the robbers while two more are trying to grab all the bags they can carry and get out. Three more are unconscious on the ground. Robin goes straight for the two trying to get away and I follow his lead. He takes one and leaves the other for me. This is the moment I've been waiting for, a chance to prove myself.

I launch into a fight with the remaining robber without hesitation, managing to get his gun away and easily blocking all of the punches he throws my direction without even trying really. I land two well-placed blows to his knee and just above his collarbone on the left side. He cries out and drops to his knees. Another blow to the back of the head and he topples to the ground. Robin's own opponent is on the ground too and Batman is finishing off his last one as I slap cuffs onto mine.

"Nice, Sparrow! Not bad for your first real fight," Robin praises, bumping my shoulder with his and grinning widely.

I smile back, "It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Then again, sparring against _you_ two tends to make everyone else seem…incapable?"

Robin laughs and shrugs, "We're pretty awesome."

"Let's go, the police will be here soon," Batman turns and heads out of the store, immediately grappling to the building across the street where we started.

Robin and I follow close behind and as we land the first two patrol cars come screeching around the corner and slam to a halt outside of the store. The street is lit up blue and red as the officers get out of their vehicles, guns drawn and steps cautious. I can tell the moment they realize we've already handled things because their guns drop and they seem to lose all the tension in their bodies. The hostages must notice too because they come out of the alley and approach the nearest patrol vehicle. The officer inside is quick to make sure everyone is alright and call for his partner.

We leave once Batman is sure everything is settled.

 **Thoughts? I hope ya'll enjoyed this. I know it's a little shorter but I felt this was a good spot to end the chapter. I know it seems like everything went all honky-dory but I figured I should give Addi at least some good luck before really having fun with this story.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Mercy**


	10. Gotham Academy

The rest of my week passes without incident. We go on patrol every night and I find myself becoming more and more confident as I fly through the city next to Batman and Robin. I also start picking up on some of their nonverbal ques. I can't operate in complete silence but I'm getting there. Surprisingly, there's no sign of any of the big baddies just a lot of lower level criminals we quickly handle and leave for police.

By the time my first day of school rolls around I've adapted to my new routine somewhat. I snatch a few hours of sleep after patrol and make sure I'm up by seven for a short run before breakfast. Dick's schedule isn't too different from mine but he gets up a little later and takes a little longer on his run. Both of us are usually showered and ready to start on whatever tasks we have for the day by eight.

The first morning of school is no different. School doesn't start until nine which gives me plenty of time to complete my morning ritual. Bruce made us come in early the night before too, saying we needed to get more sleep since we would have to actually be _present_ for the day. Dick and I both groaned a little when he sent us home _hours_ earlier than usual but we didn't argue because we both knew he would take away patrolling on school nights if we kicked up a fuss.

My run and breakfast passed quickly that morning and soon I was sitting in the back of the Royce with Dick, dressed in my Gotham Academy uniform and scared to death. I have always hated the first day of school. You never know what it's going to be like, if your teachers are any good, if your friends have changed drastically in the months since you've seen them. The first day at a brand new school was even worse because you have no idea if people will even _like_ you. They could all decide to hate me straight off and I really wasn't sure how to handle that.

"You'll be fine, you know. You're the ward of Bruce Wayne and that automatically wins you brownie points. It's not ideal because then you have a lot of fake people who won't leave you alone but at least it means there aren't really any bullies who will mess with you," Dick, as usual, seems to read my mind.

I smile slightly at him, "I can handle fake people but it would be nice to have a _real_ friend or two as well."

"Well I'm sure you and Babs will get along great and Bruce said Artemis is going to be starting school once she decides to accept the scholarship the Wayne foundation offered her. She's being a little stubborn about it. When she does start though, I bet we can have some fun with her since she doesn't know who we _really_ are," Dick cackles and I can hear the edge of mischief in the sound.

I smirk, "You're going to troll her so hard, aren't you?"

"Oh totally."

I chuckle as we pull to a stop in front of the school. Most of the students don't really pay much attention as we glide to a stop and it takes me a moment to remember a Royce isn't uncommon to these kids. Most of them have the same car in their own garages and butlers to wait on them. We're just another set of rich kids, even if our guardian is probably richer than all of their parents combined.

Dick climbs out first and I follow after a deep breath, reminding myself this is _nothing_ compared to patrolling the streets of Gotham at night.

At first, no one seems to realize Dick isn't alone but after a few more moments, the whispers and glances start. By this point, Bruce has already gone public about taking me in. All of Gotham knows Bruce Wayne took in another poor, lost orphan. The less…gracious of Bruce's associates dubbed me yet another "charity case" while the more understanding couldn't stop gushing about how selfless and wonderful Bruce was, giving me a chance at a better life. The one thing they _all_ said was how grateful I should be, for Bruce to decide I was _worth_ taking in. I had to fight not to roll my eyes at all of them and I was pretty sure Bruce wouldn't be dragging me to any social events for a little while. I wasn't exactly schooled in how to act yet.

"Ignore them," Dick looped his arm through mine and practically dragged me across the main courtyard to a redhead chatting with a few other girls, "Babs!"

The red head turned and bright green eyes landed on our approaching forms. Barbara Gordon beamed when she saw Dick and I immediately grinned. I was always a pretty big fan of the Barbara and Dick relationship. Barbara was never afraid to tell Dick _exactly_ what she thought and eventually, she could stand on equal footing not just as a civilian but as a member of the Batclan too. She was pretty amazing in my opinion.

"Dick!" Barbara turned to the other girls and waved, approaching us now, "How are you? I haven't seen you in ages!"

"Sorry about that! Bruce hasn't really let me out of the manor much. I've been helping Addi here adjust to her new life as a Wayne ward," he snickered, "That's actually kinda catchy, I'm gonna use that from now on! Wayne ward!"

I roll my eyes with a grin and see Barbara mirror the move. I hold out a hand, "It's nice to meet you, I'm Addilyn Pierce."

"Barbara Gordon, it's good to finally meet you! My dad mentioned Bruce took in another ward," She smiles kindly and takes my hand in a firm grip, "He's the police commissioner and likes to keep up with everything going on around town."

"He must be a busy man."

She laughs, "Some nights are definitely busier than others, depending on how active Batman is."

"Dick told me there was a vigilante in Gotham, I'm assuming that's Batman?"

She nods, "That's right. Some people don't really like him but my dad knows he's making a difference. He even has a spotlight he turns on when they need the Batman's help. It's pretty cool."

"So your dad works with Batman then?"

She shrugs, "Kind of I guess. He knows Batman is a good guy so he calls on him when he needs help."

"That's pretty cool! It would be neat to see Batman! I hear he has a partner too!"

Barbara's eyes dart briefly to Dick, I wouldn't have even noticed if I didn't expect it, before she nods, "Robin."

"He's pretty cool too," Dick chimes in with an impish grin.

Barbara rolls her eyes again, "He's okay, I guess. I hear he has a new partner now. A girl."

I perk up a little bit, "Really?"

Barbara turns sharp eyes on me as she nods, "Yep. My dad says he hasn't officially met her yet but a lot of the criminals are talking about her. Batman apparently started bringing her around about a week ago. They're calling her Sparrow."

I hum noncommittally with a small nod. While Barbara probably already knows all about Dick and Bruce's nighttime activities, the middle of the Gotham Academy courtyard isn't really the place to bring it up, "Sounds like she's keeping to the bird theme Robin started."

Barbara nodded and opened her mouth to say something else when another girl walked over. She had wavy blonde hair, perfectly manicured nails and a friendly smile, "You must be Addilyn! I'm Bette, your new student liaison! Welcome to Gotham Academy!"

I smile back, "Hi, nice to meet you."

"Have you picked up your class schedule yet?"

I nod, holding out the yellow paper with my class schedule typed in neat font across it, "Alfred was able to get me a copy when we picked up my uniforms."

Bette's smile widened, "Wonderful! Come on, I can show you around and take you to your first class."

"Um, Dick was actually-"

Bette looped her arm through mine before I could protest anymore and started dragging me toward the school, "It's not a problem, really. Besides, he's a _freshman_ he probably doesn't know his way around yet either."

"I'll see you at lunch Addi!" Dick called after me and I could detect the hint of amusement in his tone. I threw him a look over my shoulder and he winked with a small cackle. Oh he was _so_ going to pay when we sparred tonight.

Bette chattered on as we walked but I pretty much tuned her out, most of the stuff she was telling me I could have figured out on my own anyway. It wasn't until the tour was over and she was walking me to my math classroom I was forced to pay attention to her, "So, you're Bruce Wayne's new ward, right?"

I nodded slowly, hesitant, "Yeah."

She nodded and pulled us around another corner, "What happened to your parents? I mean, if you don't mind me asking."

I got the _distinct_ feeling it didn't really matter if I minded. I knew Bette wasn't a cruel or vicious person but she was a teenage girl who usually got what she wanted. _No_ wasn't a word she was overly familiar with. Bruce had already constructed a story for me based on what the Batcomputer could find and while I knew my parents weren't _really_ dead, it was still hard to talk about because I wouldn't ever see them again. I took a breath, looking away, "They died when I was three. Someone broke into our home. They managed to hide me but they were both shot in our living room. I didn't have any other family so I wound up in foster care."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. So Mr. Wayne found you in foster care and decided to take you in?"

She was prying a little more than I liked but I remembered Dick warning me the day before about the amount of questions people were going to ask. Even though the newspapers already put my entire history out into the world, people were going to want to know if it was true or if there was more to the story than the papers said. I shook my head, "No. I actually managed to wander onto Wayne Manor property one night. Alfred was the one who found me the next morning nearly frozen to death. Bruce called in his personal doctor to look me over and the next thing I knew a social worker was asking if I wanted to stay at Wayne manor."

"Wow. You're pretty lucky it was Bruce Wayne's home you stumbled onto. Not many people would have taken in a runaway orphan. Of course, he _did_ take Grayson in after his parents died," Bette shrugged and removed her arm from mine, "Well, here we are. If you need any help at all just let me know!"

I nodded and with a small wave Bette was off. She weaved down the hallway gracefully and waved at almost everyone she passed. She was a nice girl but I couldn't see us ever being very close.

The rest of my morning passed in a blur of classes and confusing hallways. The next time I saw Dick was lunch. He was already sitting at a table next to Barbara and waved at me as I walked in. I grabbed food from the lunch line (it was all way nicer than anything the cafeterias at home ever offered) and joined the two of them at the table.

"So, how's your day going so far?" Dick asks as soon as I sit down.

I shrug, "Honestly? The classes are a little boring and I spent most of my breaks just trying to find my next class."

Dick laughs, "Yeah, it can be kind of hard to find your way around at first but it gets easier."

"Plus, you probably have Dick in some of your afternoon classes. Most of the freshman are in the same core classes together but Dick is in a few advanced placement courses because he's a nerd," Barbara says with a cheeky grin.

I laugh, "He kind of is, isn't he? Mathlete and everything."

"Hey, the ladies love a smart guy," Dick waggles his eyebrows in a very Wally-esque fashion and causes me to early snort juice out of my nose.

"Don't _ever_ do that again."

He cackles but makes no promises.


End file.
